The Long Road Home
by Aysu
Summary: Matt poked a magic bubble and now the party has been sent to another world and separated. With the help of new friends and allies, they must use their wits and skills to evade capture as they search for each other and the way back home. Medieval AU
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_** _Here is the other fic I've been writing! It is medieval AU story set after EBF4. No pairings are planned thus far. I might change that, but it isn't likely. I started this because the idea popped into my head while I was stuck on '_ Retribution. _' Then the plot bunnies marched in, back from the dead. I write on this when I get stuck on the other story. The chapters are very long on this one, but still good. I have the entire plot planned out and now it's simply a matter of getting it down on a document. Don't expect frequent updates here until 'Retribution' is finished, but rest assured that I will definitely complete it!_

 _ **Warnings:**_ _Mild blood, mild language, violence, mild suggestive themes_

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I do not own Epic Battle Fantasy, its world, its plot, or its characters! They belong to Matt Roszak. I will only be borrowing these elements for the purpose of this story, not for any monetary/physical profit on my part._

* * *

Matt reappeared, falling to the ground. The swordsman felt a flash of pain as the back of his head landed on a rock, and then everything went dark; his sword, Heaven's Gate, was loosely grasped in his hand. For a long time, Matt lay there, alone, unconscious, and bleeding. A few hours after his crash, a pair of young boys found him.

"Cool, a dead body!" one of them said, "And it has an awesome sword! Maybe we can bring it back for dad to sell?"

The second boy shoved his brother, "You are so messed up, sometimes, Jake. Besides, I don't think he's dead. See? He's still breathing." He frowned, "I wonder what he's doing out here?"

The first boy, Jake, shrugged, "I bet he's one of those bandits. Let's poke him a few times and ask!" He grabbed a long stick.

"Jake, quit being dumb. Everyone knows the bandits dual-wield daggers and use blowguns," John sighed. "I think we should go get some adults. The guy is hurt."

Jake ignored his brother and tiptoed closer to Matt's still body. He carefully reached out and prodded it in the side. The first nudge elicited no movement, "I think he is dead." To prove his point, the boy poked harder.

"Uh, Jake, I think he's awake," his brother warned a second too late.

Jake had missed the opening of Matt's eyes. The second time he poked the swordsman he got a groan as Matt weakly lifted one arm to bat the stick away. Jake jumped away with a surprised shout. "Cool, you're alive! Are you a bandit? Can we sell your sword?" he asked immediately.

"Jake, you can't just wake up strangers and ask to sell their stuff," John sighed. He watched warily as the blond swordsman tried to sit up only to stop halfway through the motion with a wince. The boy eyed the dried blood staining the man's hair, "You look like you took a pretty nasty hit to the head. What are you doing out here?"

Matt moaned and rolled his head to the side. He peered blurrily at the speaker to find a young teen with short, brown hair. "I don't know," he mumbled.

John frowned at the blonde's pale face, "You don't look so good. Can you walk? We can get you some help at our house."

"John, we should be taking his stuff and running," Jake hissed. "He'd never catch us! Well, me anyway," the boy looked back and flinched guiltily when he saw the swordsman watching him.

"Please forgive and ignore him," Jake sighed. "My name is John and this dummy is my younger brother, Jake. What's your name?" He asked ignoring the indignant ' _hey_ ' Jake gave. The swordsman just frowned and said nothing. Jake shrugged, "I guess it's fine if you don't want to tell us. Dad says a man's business is his own, after all."

"It's not that," the swordsman said, a gleam of panic in his eyes, "I can't remember what it is!"

John started in surprise and opened his mouth to reply. He was cut off by his brother shouting, "Cool! It's just like in that story mom always tells us! I bet you're actually some kind of heroic knight and you got into a fight with a mean old dragon and it gave you aneezah! And now you have to-" Jake's excited tirade was cut off by his brother's hand slapping over his mouth.

"It's ' _amnesia_ ' not ' _aneezah_ ' and this isn't some stupid bedtime story, Jake," John said with an apologetic look at the swordsman. "Maybe you have something on you with your name on it?" he suggested to the amnesiac blond.

Matt frowned and grit his teeth as he slowly sat up, "Maybe." He reached into the pockets on his Pirate Coat, but found nothing other than a few small gemstones. He moved his hand to the pouch tied at his waist and opened it. "Weird, there's nothing inside," the swordsman said. He felt around a few more times, desperate to find something that would help him remember anything. Suddenly his fingers brushed up against a small folded piece of paper. "Wait something just appeared," he announced, drawing the paper out.

Jake cheered, "He even has a magic bag! I think he _is_ a heroic knight! They always have magic bags-of-holding!"

"Jake shut up, please. This is serious," John snapped at is younger brother. He turned back to the blond, "That is a little strange, though: usually only the king's guard and royalty can afford those." He watched the blond unfold the paper and stare at it, "What's it say?"

" _'Matt, remember to grab some food before you join us. We aren't going to be stopping at any inns so you can stuff yourself. –Lance_ '," Matt read aloud. "I guess my name must be Matt or Lance, then."

"Probably Matt if you have a note addressed to Matt. Does either name sound familiar?" John asked. He smiled when Matt nodded with a shrug.

"Kind of," Matt said, "I get a couple of images for each of them."

"He's already remembering! Soon you'll be on your way to saving the kingdom!" Jake cheered. The boy suddenly froze and looked up, "Uh, oh, John. The sun is setting." The boy's eyes widened as his brother swore, "That's a bad word! I'm going to tell mom!"

Jake ignored his younger brother to stare up at the sky and then around the now-dark area they had found Matt in. "Damn. Try to stand up. We can't stay out here—monsters come out at sundown," he said to Matt urgently.

"Monsters?" Matt asked in confusion as he heaved himself to his feet, using his sword as a crutch. The swordsman swayed where he stood. "What do monsters look like?" he asked as he unsteadily followed after the young boys.

"All kinds of things," Jake chirped. The young boy bounced alongside the swordsman, sagely describing some of the more common ones, "There are huge dogs with horns, birds with four wings, dragons and wyverns, giant bugs, giant lizards, giant frogs, giant _everything_!"

"He's right," John said, "most stay hidden during the day, but at night and in darker places the bigger, nastier ones come out." He glanced around again, checking for any monsters, "We're supposed to be home already, but we got distracted when we found you."

Matt felt a small pang of guilt, "I'm sorry…"

Jake beamed up at the swordsman, "That's okay! We got to meet a knight!"

"I don't think I'm a knight," Matt said with a weak grin.

"But you have the bag and the shiny sword! You've gotta be a knight!" Jake insisted.

"I'm not even sure I know how to _use_ this sword," Matt said skeptically.

"Weren't you insisting he was a bandit when we found him?" John asked with a grin.

"Don't be dumb, John. Everyone knows the bandits use daggers and blowguns. Matt…" Jake paused dramatically, "is a knight!"

The boy's stubborn insistence made Matt laugh, only for him to cut off when he saw John freeze. The teen shifted backwards towards the other two, looking around fearfully. Matt frowned and listened intently. He became aware of a snuffling sound. Soon, a long howl rang out, raising the hairs on the back of Matt's neck.

A massive, black wolf with a single horn on its head pounced out of the tall grass on either side of the path and snarled at the three humans. Its red eyes gleamed in the darkness and saliva dripped from its large fangs. The wolf took one step forwards and the three humans took one step back, eyes locked on the monster. Suddenly, the creature lunged forwards with a bark. Jake screamed as the creature just barely missed John's arm with a snap of its jaws.

Matt's body snapped into instinctive action. He forgot about his dizziness and pain as he spun his sword in a gleaming twirl. The monster turned its attention from its prey to the sudden threat of the swordsman. It leapt backwards, snarling defiantly at the blond. Matt stepped forwards, away from the two boys, and glared at the wolf. For a long moment, the two simply stared at each other.

Behind Matt, the two young boys were frozen in panic. " _There's no way he can win. He's wounded and he doesn't even know how to use that weapon,_ " John thought in terror. He protectively pulled Jake close to him, " _We should run while it's attacking him._ " Nodding to himself, John began to inch to the side.

Matt was staring the wolf down and saw the flicker of movement as the wolf's eyes shifted to something behind him. The swordsman seized the momentary distraction and slashed forward so quickly that he became a blur of movement. The wolf dodged enough to avoid being slain in that first attack, but let out a high-pitched yelp as the blade still sliced across its shoulder. The beast whirled and snapped at the swordsman's off-arm. Matt hissed in pain and slammed his sword hilt down on the wolf's head, dazing the creature enough to twist his arm free. Both fighters broke away to circle warily. Black blood ran from the cut on the wolf's shoulder and red blood dripped from the deep punctures in Matt's arm.

Jake's fear had faded into awe as he watched Matt holding his own against the wolf. He had been terrified when the monster had first appeared, but the swordsman had launched into action almost immediately. The fearless assault reinforced in Jake's mind that Matt was some traveling knight.

John blinked in stunned amazement, plan for escape forgotten. He had never expected Matt to launch the first attack. and when the wolf had bitten the blond he had thought that was it. The teen could hardly believe what the swordsman's pain tolerance had to be for him to be able to bash the monster and tear his arm free with only a hiss to show any discomfort. John began to think that everything would be fine when Matt stumbled slightly in his smooth motions. The teen's heart lurched in fear and he let out a shout as the wolf detected the hitch that signaled a weakness, snarling as it lunged forward again.

Matt was beginning to feel the pain and dizziness of his head wound again. The world twisted in his vision slightly, throwing off his balance. The swordsman recovered quickly, but he knew the wolf would have caught the miniscule shift in movement. Grimly, he noted that he was right as the beast leapt forwards, triumph flashing in its eyes. The monster slammed into Matt and the pair went down. The wolf's snarl broke off with a choked yelp as the blond used its own momentum against it, allowing the monster to impale itself on his sword. The gleaming red eyes dulled and the wolf fell limp.

The swordsman let out a sigh of relief as he heaved the wolf's body off of him. Standing up, he planted his foot against the corpse and yanked his weapon free. Matt turned to the boys standing behind him, blood still dripping from his arm. He could see both of them shaking as they gaped between the dead monster and the bleeding swordsman. "Looks like I do know how to use this sword," he joked with a tired grin. The humor snapped the two out of their daze and their faces broke into huge awe-filled smiles.

"That was amazing!" John cried. He shook his head, "I thought for sure that we were all dead when that monster showed up. Usually monsters that large takes at least three fighters, but you took it out all by yourself!"

"You're the best knight ever!" Jake cheered, "I bet you can beat anything!"

Matt gave them another tired smile, "It just clicked. I guess I must fight things a lot. Anyway, shouldn't we be getting you two back home? I'm sure your parents are worried."

John's eyes widened, "Oh, shoot, that's right!" He gave Matt a worried look, "Are you going to be okay to get back? It isn't much further, but still…"

"I made it this far and fought an oversized pooch; I think I'll be okay to walk to wherever you need to go," Matt said with a shrug.

John nodded, "Okay. Mom and dad should be able to help patch you up some, too." He turned to his brother who was still staring at the battered swordsman with shining eyes, "Jake, be completely quiet on the way home, the less noise we make, the better."

The young boy nodded and covered his mouth with both hands, and the three continued along the dirt path. John constantly threw worried glances at Matt. The swordsman's feet had begun dragging and his breath came in pants. His blue eyes were dull with exhaustion and pain, yet he kept his sword in hand, just in case. The bite mark on his arm had stopped bleeding in a stream, but Matt held it stiffly to avoid breaking the wound open. Jake waved his hand silently, prompting John to turn his head with his eyebrows raised in question.

"I think I hear someone," the young boy whispered.

Sure enough; now that John was paying attention, he realized he could hear worried voices calling out in the darkness. His face spilt into a smile. "It's mom and dad! They must be looking for us," he said with relief. He raised his voice, "We're over here!"

The calling voices died out briefly before rising again, this time with joy. Soon, two people came running up the path, carrying torches to light the way. As soon as they saw the missing young boys they ran even faster. The man reached them first. He fell to his knees and pulled Jake and John into a hug. The woman came up behind him and also wrapped her arms around them.

For a few seconds the family spoke all at the same time. John insisted they were fine, and that _no, he was_ not _crying—he was too old to cry_. Jake babbled near-incoherently about a hero-knight and a wolf. Their mother cried about how glad she was that her babies were safe as she pressed kisses to their foreheads. Their father scolded the pair and said they were grounded for life. The happy reunion was cut off by a dull thud and clatter as Matt finally passed out.

John whipped around, breaking free of his mother's smothering hug at the sound. He cried out in dismay at the sight of Matt lying on the ground. "Mom, dad you've have to help him! He saved us from a huge Horned Wolf!"

Jake piped up, "Yeah! It was awesome; Matt's the bestest knight ever! You've gotta save him!"

Their parents' eyes widened at the sight of the huge bite mark on the blonde's arm that had begun oozing blood again. The man swore under his breath and immediately moved to heave Matt up by hooking the blonds arm over his shoulder. He grunted at the surprising weight as he stood up straight. "John, grab his sword and both of you stay close until we're back inside," the man ordered. John dragged Heaven's Gate along the ground as his father hauled Matt the rest of the way to their home.

As soon as they were inside the small cottage, their father carefully laid Matt down on John's bed. "Mary, get me a bowl of the water we were boiling for tea and some clean rags, please," the man said. The woman nodded briskly and rushed about, bringing her husband the requested items plus a tin of herbal disinfectant. The man turned to his sons who were staring at the unconscious blond with wide eyes, "Your dinners are being kept warm by the fire, so go eat. Your mother and I will take care of your new friend. You can tell us about him after we're done, okay?" The boys nodded, and John leaned Matt's sword up against the wall by the front door. They both settled down to eat quietly, listening to the low voices of their parents as they worked to patch up Matt.

The man accepted a clean rag and dipped it in the bowl of steaming water. Wringing it out to get rid of the excess water, he carefully and gently cleaned the sticky, half-dried blood from Matt's arm. As soon as the blood was cleared, his wife smeared a generous amount of the herbal salve on the teeth marks and wrapped a second cloth tightly around the wound, knotting it to hold it there. Matt only shifted once throughout the entire process, during the cleaning, but he didn't awaken. The man frowned at the blood along the blonde's hairline. He carefully turned Matt's head to the side to find the source and sucked in a breath at the nasty gash on the back of the man's head. "Mary, can you hold his hair out of the way while I clean this?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course, dear," his wife murmured. She winced in sympathy at the wound and watched as her husband carefully dabbed it clean before rubbing some of the salve into the cut and pressed a small piece of folded cloth to it. The woman moved to grab some bandages that she then carefully wrapped around the blonde's head to cover the wound. The pair stepped back and sighed, cleaning their hands on the leftover towels.

"Okay, now why don't you two tell us about this young man," the woman said in a soft voice, turning to face her children. "You mentioned that he saved you from a Horned Wolf?"

John swallowed his last mouthful of food and nodded. Together, he and Jake explained everything from when they had found Matt up to when their parents had come. The couple's faces twitched into smiles as Jake insisted that Matt was a heroic knight. Their father had to hush them several times when their voices rose in excitement as they described the battle against the wolf.

"He was so fast I couldn't see him move," John said in an awe-filled tone. His voice quieted some as he admitted, "I thought we were done for when the thing showed up. I didn't think Matt had a chance—especially since he wasn't even sure he knew how to use the sword he was carrying. I was thinking maybe Jake and I could run for it while the wolf was busy with Matt."

Jake twisted to stare at his brother, "You wanted to leave Matt there? But he fought so hard for us!"

Their mother interrupted any argument that might have sprung up. "I'm sure John was just thinking about your safety, Jake," she soothed, "Besides, Matt won the fight and you all made it here mostly okay."

"She's right. You both should thank him when he wakes up tomorrow," their father said, glancing back at the sleeping swordsman. He turned back to his sons, "Now then, time for bed. John, you'll have to share Jake's bed. I know it's small, but Matt needs to rest peacefully if he's to recover. You can take the extra quilt from our bed." The two boys glanced at each other and nodded. "Good, then off you go! Goodnight."

"Goodnight, you two," their mother said, giving them each a kiss on the tops of their heads.

The two boys scurried off and there was a short, muffled argument as they fought over who had to sleep on the edge. Finally, John gave a huge yawn and let Jake crawl in first. The two boys quickly fell asleep as the excitement of the last few hours caught up to them. Their parents watched the two sleeping boys fondly before moving to sit down. Mary poured some tea into two cups and slid one over to her husband.

"Amnesia, huh?" the man mused with a frown. "He seems like a nice enough of a man from the boys' description of him. It's going to be hard to feed him, though. We barely have enough money to feed ourselves and the kids."

"Well, we can hardly kick the poor boy out with those wounds and no memory, Harold. Besides, he saved both our son's lives," Mary chided gently. She sighed, "If only the king would stop calling for more money."

Harold nodded, "I know, I'm just pointing out an obvious and serious issue. I wonder where he came from and how he ended up on the trail with no memory. The boys think he's an excellent fighter, so I doubt anyone who fought him would have left him there alive." He gave a soft laugh, "Although, they may be exaggerating the tale. I find it hard to believe that one injured man brought down a full-grown Horned Wolf by himself."

"They do seem to have a bit of a hero worship going for the boy," Mary said with a smile. She frowned thoughtfully, "Maybe he's a sellsword? That would explain the combat experience."

"Doubtful, the king has been snapping up all mercenaries and fighting men for his army, and any who don't join go 'missing'," Harold said. He glanced at Matt's gleaming sword where it leaned against the door, "I suppose we'll just have to wait until he's recovered enough to give us an example of his skill." He turned back to his wife, "In the meantime, we need to figure out some way to feed him."

Mary hummed thoughtfully, "We can always have slightly smaller portions until he is well enough to walk. I'm sure he can help out somehow to earn his keep. Maybe, if he's as good as the boys' claim he is, he can hunt for some extra meat."

Harold sighed, "I suppose that will have to do. I hope he recover's soon. And I suppose it's possible he has friends who are looking for him. John did mention a letter signed by a 'Lance,' after all." His face darkened, "We should keep an eye on him while he recovers and not tell anyone he's here. He may have gotten that head wound from being on the wrong side of the wrong people."

"I don't much like the thought, but it is possible," Mary murmured. She drained the rest of her tea and stood up, "Now come, let us be off to sleep ourselves. Morning is always sooner than we think."

 **DDDDDD**

Matt woke with a throbbing in his head. He turned his head to the side with a grimace, trying to ease the pain. The blond could hear familiar voices speaking quietly nearby. He slowly slid his eyes open to see who it was and found himself lying in a small, room. He could see through an open door leading to the main part of the cottage. John and Jake were sitting at a small wooden table, eating some kind of porridge. A fire crackled in the hearth nearby.

The swordsman swallowed thickly and called out to them in a hoarse voice, "Hey you two, d'you mind getting me some water?"

The two boys spun to face Matt, with spoons sticking out of their mouths and identical wide-eyed stares. John pulled the spoon put of his mouth and stood up, motioning for Jake to get the injured blond some water while he walked over to the door. The older boy poked his head outside, calling for his mom. Meanwhile, Jake carried a tin cup full of water over to Matt and waited it until the blond had pushed himself upright before handing it over.

Matt gulped the cool liquid down. He sighed in relief as his headache died down somewhat and gave Jake a small smile, "Thanks, I needed that." He frowned suddenly, "Are you and your brother okay? You didn't get attacked after I passed out, did you?"

A woman's voice answered him, "Other than from a scolding from their father for being out so late, no."

Matt twisted his head to see a woman with long brown hair pulled into a braid standing in the doorway with John by her side. Her brown eyes were staring at the blond sitting on the bed with an unreadable look one her face. Matt gave a sheepish grin, "That might be my fault. They found me unconscious and it distracted them from being home on time. I'm sorry it put them in danger."

The woman's face softened some, "No, it isn't your fault." She gave her two sons a stern look, "They had gone too far out to be back in time, anyway; despite their parents' many warnings not to do so." She turned back to Matt with a smile, "My name is Mary and I'm the mother of these two rascals. They tell me your name is Matt, but you don't know much more than that." Mary stepped forward and looked Matt over critically, "Before we get into that, though, how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, actually," Matt said with a grin, "My head hurts some, but it already feels much better than yesterday. My arm doesn't hurt almost at all."

Mary blinked, "Really? That's surprising; it was a very deep bite." She moved to sit on a stool at Matt's bedside, "Let me see your arm, please?" The swordsman held out the injured limb to be unwrapped. The cloth bandage fell away to reveal that the bite mark had already healed significantly, drastically reduced in depth and redness from the night before. "Amazing!" Mary gasped. She carefully prodded the wound in a couple of places, but Matt hardly twitched. "You must have magic in your blood to heal this quickly. I don't think this even needs a wrap anymore."

Matt frowned, "Magic? I don't know, maybe." He paused as a vague thought formed in his mind of a pillar of fire rising from the ground at the tip of his sword. "Actually, I think you might be right," the blonde said slowly, "I kinda remember using magic to attack."

Jake, who had managed to stay silent up to that point, squealed, "You can use _magic_ too?!" He turned to his brother, "A bag-of-holding, a shiny sword, and he can use magic? I'm telling you, he's a real hero!"

"Boys, go play outside," Mary suddenly said, having caught the wince Matt had given at the high-pitched noise.

"But Mooomm, he just woke up…" Jake whined, his brother pouting next to him.

Their mother gave them a stern look and pointed at the door, "You can talk to him later. For now, I need to ask him some things and it will be easier without you two being distracting. Now go outside, but don't go far." She watched with an amused look as they two boys pouted and grumbled, but headed out the door. Mary turned back to Matt to see him also smiling after them, "They've taken quite a liking to you. You're all they would talk about at breakfast."

Matt grinned, "They're good kids. I'm glad they're okay." he glanced at the woman sitting next to him, "And you and your husband. I was worried that we were still far from your house when I passed out. I guess we couldn't have been too far, though. Thank you for taking care of me."

"It was the least we could do after you saved our boys' lives," Mary said with a smile and a wave of her hand, "I hope they weren't a bother to you. Jake is very energetic and John can be worse, sometimes,"

"They were fine. John was very helpful and kind," Matt assured her. He grinned, "Jake was nice too, although he seemed to want to sell my sword for some reason. Now he seems to think I'm some kind of bedtime hero." His face softened into a somewhat nostalgic smile, "They remind me of someone, but I can't remember who."

Mary frowned, "That was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. John told us that you don't remember much of anything and that it took reading your name on a letter to figure it out; is that right?" She watched as Matt nodded. Her face was sympathetic as she went on, "Well, he also said the two names gave you some vague ideas and you say my two boys remind you of someone. Maybe all you need are some familiar things to remind you."

Matt smiled uncertainly, "I hope so. I can't remember much of anything about myself. I-I think I have a few friends, but I can't remember their faces or names, and they weren't around when John and Jake found me." He looked over at his sword by the door, "That weapon is familiar to me too, but I don't know when or how I got it. I wasn't even sure I knew how to use it until I fought that wolf; instinct just sort of kicked in."

"I'm sure you'll remember everything soon," the woman assured him with a warm smile. She frowned slightly, "My husband, Harold, and I were skeptical about the boys' description of the size of the wolf. They seemed to think it was a full grown one. Harold went to find the corpse today, but for now can you tell me what you remember of it?"

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before—not that that means much right now—so I don't know what a grown one would look like," Matt said, "Its shoulders reached my own, if that helps, though."

With a surprised huff, Mary leaned back, "That would be a full grown one, all right. I'm amazed that you defeated it all on your own, especially with that head wound you have." She shook her head, "It's a good thing for our village you killed it since it was prowling close by. We don't have any trained fighters here anymore so it would have taken a large group to kill and there would almost certainly have been casualties. Thank you."

Matt shrugged, "You're welcome. I have the feeling it wasn't the first big monster I've fought."

"I can believe that," Mary mused. Her eyes widened suddenly, "Oh, my, forgive me; I forgot to get you some food! I'm sure you're starving by now." She laughed as the blonde's stomach grumbled and he blushed, "And that answers that! Wait one moment." She bustled away and came back with a bowl of the porridge the boys had been eating earlier. "I'm sorry the portion is so small," Mary apologized. She sighed, "The king keeps raising taxes and we barely have enough money to feed ourselves anymore."

Matt had started eating but froze when he heard that. He lowered the spoon back into the bowl, "I don't want to eat your food if you don't have enough to share."

"No, no, you need to eat," the woman insisted. When Matt remained hesitant she adopted the stern look she had used on her children, "You need to eat if you want to be healthy, so eat that porridge right now, young man." She watched as Matt flinched and began stuffing the food in his mouth. Soon he was finished and she took the bowl away again. "Now then," Mary said, settling back down, "My husband and I agree that we can't throw you out to the world's mercy in your condition, but the lack of food will be a problem." She frowned, "We don't have the money to buy more and a boy your age eats a lot, I'm sure."

The swordsman flinched again, "I don't want to be a bother. I can leave now; I'm well enough to travel."

"No you are not, so don't you dare try. Even if you may be nearly well enough physically, you have no memories and that can be far more dangerous than any wound," the woman snapped. "Besides, we think we have a solution to the problem," she paused until Matt nodded, "The fact that you killed a full-grown Horned Wolf by yourself means that you can certainly hunt for meat. When you're well enough to stand without a pounding headache, we'd like to ask you to go out once in a while to bring back game."

Matt nodded empathetically, "I can do that. I'm not so sure how soon that will be, though. What do you use to buy food around here?"

The woman shrugged, "Oh, gold, jewels, the usual. Sometimes we trade skills or services instead." She shook her head, "I don't think you have any significant amount on you. I'd suggest offering your skills with fighting in exchange for money, but it wouldn't be wise."

"Why not? I could probably do that easily," Matt asked with a frown.

"The king has been rounding up any and all able fighters. Villagers, travelers, mercenaries, even paid bodyguards if their clients are willing to accept money in exchange," the woman explained. She sighed, "We don't know why, but it's true. And the people have never gotten a choice in the matter."

"Oh, that would put a stop to that," Matt said with a frown, "I don't think I like this king-guy very much. He's forcing you to pay more than you can afford and taking strong people away? That seems like trouble." He shook himself, "Anyway, I'd be glad to hunt for some meat when I'm able. In the meantime, maybe you can use these to buy some extra food?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the gemstones he had found in there the night before.

Mary gasped at the glittering rocks, "Where did you get those? Wait, that's a stupid question, you wouldn't remember." She reached out a hand and Matt poured the jewels into her palm. "These will certainly cover extra food until you are well enough to hunt, and then some," she said with a relieved smile. Suddenly, the woman gave Matt a sharp look, "You don't look like a wanton thief, but I have to be sure. Do you know if you stole these or not? They look to be of very high quality."

Matt shook his head, "I don't _think_ I am. I-I think I got it from beating some monster, but I'm not sure." He winced suddenly, and placed a palm on his forehead, before giving a sudden surprised laugh, "I just remembered something!"

Mary stared at him for a few seconds before a smile spread across her own face, "Oh, really? May I ask what?"

Matt's eyes closed in concentration as he held onto the image that had popped into his mind. "A girl with green hair; she was mad at me for something, but I can't remember what. Anyway, I get the feeling that she was a friend of mine and that she was very nice."

"Green hair? That's an unusual color," Mary mused. She grinned, "Maybe she's your girlfriend?"

"I don't think so," Matt said with a thoughtful frown, "I think she was a friend, but not a girlfriend. Maybe she'll come looking for me."

"I'm only teasing, don't worry. I'm sure your friends will be looking for you. Now then, let me check the cut on the back of your head," Mary said. She waited for Matt to turn around, and then unwrapped the bandage tied around his head. "It looks to be healing nicely; I don't think it needs the bandage anymore. Do you want to try standing up, or would you like to go back to sleep?" the woman asked.

"Standing up, I'm not tired at all," Matt said instantly. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and carefully raised himself to his feet. The room spun for a second, but Mary's firm hand on his shoulder kept the blond from falling back down. "Huh, maybe I'm doing better than I thought. My headache isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be," Matt said with a grin.

"Are you feeling up to entertaining the boys? I need to run to the store and buy some more food and I'm worried they'll break something or sneak off while I'm gone. They'll be ecstatic to talk to you, so I think they should be pretty well behaved," Mary asked.

Matt nodded, "Sure, I can do that. We can stay outside, too."

"Wonderful, thank you so much," the woman said as they crossed the room, "My husband should be back soon, so you won't need to watch them for long." She opened the door and the two walked outside. "Boys, I'm leaving Matt in charge while I run to the store. Be good for him and keep in mind that he's still injured, okay?" she smiled as the two boys jumped up from where they had been drawing in the dirt and ran over to Matt. "I'll return soon, maybe even before your father," Mary told them and then left down the street.

Matt waved as she walked off then turned to the two boys with a grin, "So how are you two doing?"

Jake jumped up and down, "I'm doing okay! Can you show us some magic? Or a fancy sword move? Or-"

"Jake, stop," John interrupted, "He's still recovering remember?" The older boy turned to Matt, "I'm glad you're up—Dad thought you wouldn't be until dinner or later." He smiled suddenly, "Thank you for saving us last night! The way you took that huge monster out on your own was awesome!"

"You're welcome, I'm glad you're both okay," Matt said with a grin. He turned to Jake, "I don't think I could show you any magic even if I was well enough to try; I don't remember how. Also, I've been told that fighting is a bad thing to show off right now, but we can have a play fight when I'm better, if you want."

"Oh, wow, really?" John said excitedly, "I want to try fighting you, too! Jake is too small to be a very good opponent." He paused, "Wait, are you staying here?"

"For now," Matt confirmed with a shrug. He smiled as the two boys jumped around cheering before he got a weird look on his face, "Your mother seems to think running around with no memory is a bad idea."

Jake stopped bouncing and grinned, "She scolded you, didn't she? She can be scary sometimes."

Matt nodded with a laugh, "She sure can be. Anyway, what were you two doing before we came out here?"

"Drawing," Jake said. He grabbed Matt's hand and tugged him over to the patch of dirt to proudly show some crude figures scratched on the ground.

There was a stick figure with a long triangle in one hand, attacking a slightly better drawn four legged creature with jagged teeth and a horn. The monster had X's for eyes and its tongue was hanging out.

"Is that me killing the wolf?" Matt asked with an amused grin.

"Yup! Jake drew you, and I drew the wolf," John said with a big smile, "You have to be the strongest person we've ever seen! I wish I could fight like you do!"

Matt gave a slightly embarrassed laugh, "I'll take your word for it."

Unknown to the three standing over the drawing in the dirt, a man with short black hair was watching them with a fond smile. He finally spoke up, "You almost certainly are. I saw what you did to that wolf; very impressive."

Matt spun around and stepped protectively between the man and the boys. A split second later, he recognized the stranger from the night before and relaxed. "It was luck, mostly. If the thing hadn't lunged at me, I might not have beaten it," Matt said with a smile. "You must be their dad. Their mom went to the store to get some more food."

"I am indeed," the man said with a smile. He stepped forward and held his hand out, "My name's Harold. I'm glad to see you up already. Thanks for keeping an eye on these two; both last night and just now."

Shaking the offered hand the blond grinned, "You already know my name's Matt and you're welcome." He gave a laugh, "But really, they saved me. I wouldn't have woken up if Jake hadn't poked me with a stick and John took charge getting us to your house. I probably would have been eaten if they hadn't. Also, thanks for taking care of me and letting me stay."

Harold smiled, "Of course. Now what's this about Mary going to get some food? I'm pretty sure we don't have the money for that right now."

"I gave her some gems I found in my pocket," Matt explained with a shrug. "I told her I'd be happy to bring game back when I'm able to hunt," he added.

"Really?" the man asked, "Well, that will make this much easier on all of us. Thank you."

At that moment, the woman walked into the yard with a basket full of food. She walked over and gave her husband a quick kiss; the two younger boys ' _ewwed_ ' at the display, covering their eyes in disgust. Their parents broke away and grinned down at them, while Matt laughed.

"I got all of this for one gem, and they gave me some gold, too" Mary said with a broad smile. She tried to return the remaining four crystals to Matt.

The swordsman waved his hands in front of him, "No, no, no. If you guys are going to be boarding me then keep the gems. If there are any left by the time I leave then we'll talk, but for now keep and use them however you want."

The woman hesitated and glanced at her husband who shrugged. "Very well, thank you so much," she said finally, lowering her hand. She glanced down at the drawing on the ground and laughed, "What a fine masterpiece! We're raising little artists, Harold."

The two boys pouted as their dad laughed. "Nuh-uh, I'm going to be an awesome swordsman," Jake insisted.

John nodded his head fervently in agreement, "Me, too!" He made a face, "Who wants to sit in a dusty room painting all day?"

Matt grinned, "Not me!"

""Fine, fine, you two will be amazing swordsmen, like Matt," their mother chuckled.

"That's right! I'm going to better than anyone!" Jake said with a puffed out chest.

"Well, before you can do that, you need to do your chores," his father said with smile, "I don't see those leaves raked up like I asked you to do when I left."

The two boys groaned and complained, but headed off to a small shed across the yard. There was some clattering and then they emerged holding two battered wooden rakes. The two parents watched with exasperated smiles as their children continued to groan as they worked.

"Should I help them?" Matt asked with an unenthused look on his face.

Mary grinned at him, "No, you're still recovering. We'll see about chores for you later. For now, come inside and have some more water, you're still looking pale."

"I don't think guests should be doing housework, dear," Harold mentioned.

"If they're going to be living with us for a long time, they should," his wife shot back.

Matt sighed, "Sadly, I have to agree with you, Miss."

"You can call me Mary, sweetie," the woman told him, leading the way back indoors. She settled Matt down at the table and bustled about bringing him a tin cup full of water and a couple slices of the bread she had bought. She then set about slicing up vegetables and meat to make a stew for dinner.

Harold and Matt talked while she worked. The older man was interested in anything the swordsman could remember about himself. Matt wanted to know everything he could about the village and surrounding area. Matt told them that he didn't recognize any of the names of places and people they mentioned. They told him that the few monsters and other things he could remember didn't sound familiar to them at all. There was a brief discussion of the king's recent policy of high taxes and building up of his military. It seemed to Matt that the man was getting ready to attack somebody, but Mary and Harold couldn't think of who or why. They said the neighboring kingdom was on good terms with them currently. The boys walked in from the yard just as the stew finished. There weren't enough seats at the table, so Matt offered to wait until they finished before eating. John said that he didn't mind eating on the floor or on his bed—which was what ended up happening—but that brought up the problem of where Matt would sleep.

"Just give me a blanket or two and I'll be fine on the floor," Matt said.

Mary frowned, "That doesn't sound very comfortable."

"I'll be fine," he insisted, "Besides, I can't ask one of you to give up your bed while I'm here. Your family is doing so much for me already by just letting me stay until I recover or my friends show up."

Finally, the woman reluctantly agreed, but only after the blonde's wounds had completely healed. "I don't want those getting infected from the dirty floor," she said.

Matt sighed, but agreed to the terms and the rest of the meal was finished in relative quiet. Harold looked at Matt's bite wound and the back of his head. He commented that he was amazed at the blonde's recovery rate and that he figured Matt would be good enough to hunt in a couple of days, maybe even the next day. Soon after, the five people headed for bed. Jake and John squabbled over who had to sleep on the edge again, but their mother put a stop to it by saying it was Jake's bed, therefore he should decide. Matt promised that he would be better soon and then John would have his own bed back.

The next morning saw that Matt's injuries were completely healed. He shrugged at the exclamations of surprise the others gave and said he didn't know if that was normal or not, but he was glad that at least he could be helpful now. Harold smiled and assured the swordsman that he was not any huge burden.

Later that day, Matt headed out with Harold to see how good the blond actually was with a sword. Jake and John pleaded to come along, but their father firmly stated that they were still grounded and tracking monsters was dangerous. To the two boys' disappointment, Matt agreed. They were somewhat placated with a promise to tell them all about it when he returned.

The pair of men hadn't been out of sight of the village for long when they were attacked by a large toad. The animal reached to about Matt's waist in height, and its head was covered in rounded horns. The thing croaked at the pair and Matt motioned for Harold to stand back. The man hesitated, gripping his hunting bow, but followed the silent command. The fight was over in seconds. Matt dashed forwards and in two blinding swings, the toad lay dead on the ground.

"That's amazing! John was right: you move too fast for the untrained eye to follow easily," Harold said in admiration.

Matt shrugged, "I must have been doing this for a living, or something. I can just… tell the best way to attack a monster. And my body has no problems following through with attacks."

The older man whistled, "You seem a bit young to have that kind of experience, but it must be true." He frowned, "I wonder if you're with the king's mobile unit. They're said to be strong and versatile fighters."

Matt frowned, "Maybe. I can kind of remember being part of a small team. That green-haired girl was part of it as well as two, maybe three others?" He shook his head, "The idea of a king still seems foreign to me, though."

"I doubt you were if there was a girl on your team. The king never hires women for combat service," Harold mused. The man gave himself a shake, "Well, regardless, you're as good as the boys claimed or better. Should we see if we can't find some more tasty game?"

Matt grinned and said, "Lead the way!"

The pair returned a few hours later dragging a wild pig. Matt skinned and cleaned the meat before slicing it into smaller pieces. Meanwhile, Harold piled some green wood chips in a large hollowed tree trunk with a small door at the bottom and angled roof at the top. Soon, they hung the pieces of meat up inside the trunk and lit the chips on fire. Smoke filled the tree and they shut the door capturing the smoke so that it would preserve the meat. A little smoke floated out of a small gap in the roof of the log and dissipated on a light breeze.

"That should hold us for meat for a while," Harold said with a content smile. "Thanks, Matt. Hunting alone can be dangerous, I'm grateful for the experienced help."

"No problem, it was fun," Matt said with a grin.

 **DDDDDD**

Several weeks passed like that. Days were filled with helping around the yard and house, having play fights with stick with John and Jake, or hunting in the fields and forests surrounding the quiet village. Matt remembered small things every now and then, but they were hazy memories and weren't substantial enough to figure out where he came from. The tidbits seemed to point to being a mercenary from a distant land, but they couldn't figure out how the blond had wound up unconscious and alone on the trail.

It was apparent that while Matt was happy living with the small family, he itched to be traveling. He didn't like sitting still, he told them. He felt he was supposed to be doing something, or searching for someone, but he didn't know who or what. Mary and Harold told him to wait a little longer. They said they understood his having wanderlust, but insisted Matt stay with them until he either remembered enough about himself to be safe or until one of his friends found him. Matt chafed at that, but agreed that it was probably the smart thing to do.

The peaceful life ended abruptly one day. A small contingent of the royal guardsmen rode into the small village, demanding more money from the residents. If someone didn't cough up enough cash, they were hauled away in chains. When the men came to the door of the house Matt was staying at, Mary told the boys to stay in their bedroom while she dealt with the soldiers. The swordsman frowned, but agreed so as to avoid trouble. He went into the room with Jake and John, shut the door most of the way, and listened to the conversation outside.

The woman gave one of the remaining two jewels over, saying that was all they had to offer. The men exchanged glances and their leader said that it wasn't enough. One man suggested a different kind of payment, his tone saying exactly what they wanted. Mary firmly refused, but offered to give them some fresh bread she had just baked and smoked meat instead. There was a brief discussion and the soldiers agreed. While the woman gathered up the food, two of the men grabbed her and she began shouting and struggling.

Matt burst out of the room and tackled on of the guards. He delivered a solid punch to a guard's throat that left the man wheezing for air and stood back up. His sudden appearance and attack stunned the men, but they quickly recovered. The soldiers released Mary, who scrambled out of reach with wide eyes. The men ignored her and sized up the young man standing before them, glaring with his hands curled into fists. With a vicious grin the leader tilted his head at the blond and three men surged forwards. Matt ducked under their grabbing arms and darted outside. He heard shouts from behind him as all of the guards followed him into the yard. He turned his head, trying to keep an eye on all eight of them as they spread out to surround him.

" _Well, at least they're away from the others,_ " Matt thought grimly, eyeing the men who circled him. He wished he hadn't left his sword inside, but figured it was probably a good thing. It would be far easier to fake being a weak fighter if he didn't have a weapon. " _This is going to hurt,_ " the swordsman thought as the leader ordered them to attack.

The next few minutes were a blur of motion and pain. Matt managed to avoid taking too many hits to the face or head, but by the time the guards finished, his entire body was covered in bruises and cuts. He let out a few coughs and blood splattered on the ground as the men stepped back and laughed. While his vision slowly faded, he heard the leader say one last thing: "I suppose that bit of fun is enough payment. Let's go boys—we have a few more houses to visit." As they tromped off, Matt gave a small sigh of relief and passed out.

As soon as the men were gone, Mary, John, and Jake came running out of the house to check on Matt. The woman gasped at the wounds covering Matt's body. She immediately ordered Jake to set some water to boil in the kettle and John to help her drag the blond inside. The two boys leapt into motion and soon Matt was lying on an old blanket on the floor with Mary carefully cleaning what cuts she could. Jake and John stood nearby, faces pale as they watched and fetched whatever their mother needed. Tears filled Mary's eyes as she found out that Matt had a couple of broken ribs and his left arm was dislocated at the shoulder. A sudden banging noise from the door slamming wide open had the woman looking up to see Harold panting in the door.

"I heard from our neighbor there was a commotion here while I was at the store and came as fast as I could," the man said rapidly. His eyes fell on Matt's beaten form on the floor and he gasped, "Gods above, what happened?"

Mary sniffed and wiped the tears in her eyes away, "They came here for more money and what I gave them wasn't enough. When they asked for a different form of payment I offered some food, and it seemed like they would take that. But when I turned to get the food, they grabbed me."

"What? Are you okay?" her husband asked frantically.

"Yes, but only because Matt came flying out and attacked them," she said with a sob, "He led them outside, but he didn't have his sword on him and they beat him—badly." The woman gestured at the blonde's chest, "They broke at least two ribs, his shoulder is dislocated, he's covered in bruises and cuts, and his breathing sounds off. He needs proper medical treatment and no one here will know enough to help."

Harold sucked in a deep breath, "I heard from a traveler that there's a talented healer who's been seen nearby. Let me go and beg him to find that person and bring them here." He didn't wait for a reply and ran back out the door.

John spoke up in a small voice, "Is Matt gonna be okay?"

"I hope so. If there really is a healer nearby, then yes. If not…" Mary's voice trailed off with a worried sigh.

Jake sniffled, "But he's gotta be okay! Who's gonna tell me all about monsters if he isn't?"

His mother stood up and pulled her sons in for a hug, "I'm sure your father will find this healer and bring them here. Don't worry. In the meantime, we need to be strong and help Matt however we can, alright?"

Both boys wiped their eyes and nodded. At that moment their father came running back in, "The traveler said he would do his best. He knows where the healer was headed for next and it isn't far from here. He promised to be back in a couple of days with them."

Mary gave a relieved sigh, "That's wonderful." She lowered her voice to a whisper so the boys couldn't hear, "Now we just need to make sure Matt is still with us in a couple of days."

Harold nodded with a worried frown. "You're right," he said quietly, "He doesn't look good. I think we should avoid moving him as much as possible and keep the wounds we can see clean."

 **DDDDDD**

Matt woke a day later with a horrible ache all over his body and feeling cold. He groaned in discomfort and heard footsteps rush over to him. The blond pried his eyes open to see a blurry face hovering in his vision. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth to try to say something, but couldn't get anything past his dry throat. A gentle hand slid under his head and lifted it up slightly. A cup pressed against his lips and he gratefully swallowed the water. Opening his eyes again after the cup was empty he found that he could make out the worried face of Mary leaning over him. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

The woman gave a teary laugh, "I should be asking you that. I'm fine, thanks to you." She frowned worriedly, "You're very injured, we sent for a healer. But for now, how do you feel?"

Matt took a long time to process that question. "Very sore and freezing," he finally croaked, "Can I have another blanket?" Mary stood up to fetch the requested covering. When she got back, Matt had already passed out again.

Harold came in from outside to see her gently tucking another light blanket around the injured blond. "How's he doing?" the man asked in concern.

"He woke up and drank some water. He asked how I was doing and said that he's in pain and cold," his wife replied. She looked up with fear in her eyes, "He's already running a fever, Harold. I'm worried that he won't make it until the healer arrives."

With a swallow, the man stared at the young man on the floor. "He will," he said in a fragile, hopeful tone, "He's young and strong. He'll make it until the healer comes."

Mary sighed, "You're right. We can't believe otherwise until it's true."

 **DDDDDD**

Matt woke sporadically and for indeterminate amounts of time. He couldn't make sense of what he saw before he passed out again. Pain was a constant, as was the shifting feeling of being too cold or too hot. He thought he heard Mary speaking to him but then it seemed like the voice morphed into Jake or John. His dreams were filled with monsters he hadn't seen before and places he couldn't remember going to, but he recognized all the same. He saw shadowy figures in each of them, but couldn't see their faces or hear their voices, and when he called out to them they didn't respond. At one point he thought he could see the guards again and he thrashed, needing to stop them only to find hands pinning him down. A jumble of voices whispered unintelligible, soothing words until he was out once more. Harold swam into view at one point, telling him to hold on. Matt wanted to ask what he was supposed to hold onto and why, but he couldn't get his tongue to form the words.

Finally a face he didn't recognize, but seemed so familiar, appeared. A young woman with long orange hair stared at him, ringed by light. Tears formed in her blue eyes and she seemed shocked as spoke, but Matt couldn't figure out what she said. A cool and soothing feeling washed over the blonde's body. He welcomed the sensation as it melted into his skin and bones, coating aches and pains. A second equally pleasant sensation followed on the heels of the first. When the feeling evaporated, it took the constant pain and unbearable heat with it. Matt felt comfortable for the first time in days. He tried to say something, to thank whoever had helped, but his body rebelled and his mind slowly drifted once more. The last thing he heard was an achingly familiar—and yet not—voice whispering his name in a tone of disbelief and joy.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _I have given Matt anime amnesia, or animesia, for short! He'll get over it eventually, though, don't worry. I loved writing for John and Jake; especially Jake. xD So we've got a crappy king, violent and abusive soldiers, the party is split up, and Matt's got animesia. Yup, this sounds like a pretty standard RPG plot, don't you think? Anyway, next chapter will be Natalie._

 _This story is also self-edited, so let me know if there are any horrific errors. Now, leave me a review and I will be back to post the next chapter at some point!_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N:_** _I'm so glad people like this story. I have some familiar faces back for some more as well as some new ones! Yay! :D Natz is up next! No animesia here, obviously. xD_

* * *

Natalie woke lying on her back and staring up at a covering of leafy branches. Birds were chirping nearby and the sun was low in the sky. The mage sat up with a groan to find she was alone on a hill under a single tree. From her vantage point, she could see a patchwork of farmland stretching into the distance. Natalie stood up and frowned at the unfamiliar landscape. She glanced around again, in case she had somehow missed seeing Matt, Lance, or Anna lying nearby. Her frown deepened as she confirmed she was indeed alone, but she gave a small smile upon seeing her Crystal Staff lying in the grass next to where she had lain. Natalie then felt for her Adventure Pouch and breathed a sigh of relief upon finding it still tied firmly to her waist. A quick check inside the bag revealed that nothing was missing from it.

"Well, at least I'm armed," Natalie muttered. "I told Matt not to poke the strange magic portal. Every time he messes with something weird, bad stuff happens," she sighed and started walking for the nearest farmhouse some three miles away down the hill. "At least the weather is nice," the mage said, tilting her head to catch a passing breeze. She hoped the others hadn't landed too far away and were safe. Maybe she'd even find them on her way to ask for directions and information. She wondered if she would be allowed to stay a night if she paid for room.

The sun fully set before Natalie could make it to the farmhouse. Instantly, the mage sensed a change in the air. A chill ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the sun setting and she gripped her staff tightly as she glanced around. Natalie couldn't see any monsters but she could feel something watching her. A loud squeal suddenly came from a clump of bushes to her left and the mage spun in time to gape at a massive boar charging out at her. The creature had beady red eyes that glared at her. It had long, razor sharp tusks that curled over its snout, and smaller horns jutting out from its knees.

With a shriek, Natalie dove to the side and the boar thundered past her. She scrambled to her feet and turned to face the animal. The creature continued its mindless charge for a good few yards before letting out another squealing bellow and turning around. "Big, strong, and simple," Natalie mused, preparing a spell, "you remind me of Matt." The boar kept charging, getting closer and closer, "I've never seen a porker as big as you, but somehow, I think you'll cook just the same." She unleashed a fireball on the boar and watched as the flames engulfed the beast. The creature shrieked until it died and then the flames burned the body to ash.

Natalie turned to continue on the way to the farm house. "I really hope that not all the animals here are that big and mean," she muttered under her breath. She laughed and added, "Although, Matt would certainly enjoy eating that much meat." The mage finally stepped up to the wooden door of the farm house and knocked firmly. A frenzy of barking erupted form inside followed by a couple of voices before the door opened a crack. An older man with greying black hair peered out and upon seeing Natalie standing alone on the front step he opened the door wider.

"Can I help you?" the man asked politely. A second later he cursed as a furry black and white shape shot out and bounced around the woman. "Triff, down girl, down," The man scolded. A few seconds later and the dog calmed and sat still, tail thumping against the ground. "Sorry about that, she's young," the man said apologetically. He gave the dog a mock-sour look, "Her siblings are much better behaved."

"It's fine," Natalie assured bending down to ruffle the dog's ears, "I love dogs." The mage grinned as the dog rolled onto her back, begging to have her belly rubbed. "Who's a good, beautiful puppy? You are! Yes, you are," Natalie cooed as she scratched. The dog practically melted under the attention. Finally the girl stood straight once more. She blushed at the look the amused man was giving her, "I'm so sorry, that was rude of me. Anyway, I was wondering if you could tell me where I am?"

The man waved away her apology with a smile, "It's alright. Anyone who loves dogs is good in my book. You're in the southernmost part of the kingdom of Garthram."

Natalie frowned, "Kingdom of Garthram? I must have been sent further than I thought."

" _'Sent_?'" the man asked in a confused tone. He frowned suspiciously, "Are you with the king? We don't have any more money to give."

"No, no," Natalie hurried to assure him, waving her hands in front of her. "I was adventuring with my friends and they poked something they shouldn't have and I wound alone up on a hill nearby. I've never even heard of any kings or kingdom."

The man relaxed, "That's quite the tale. Would you like to stay here for tonight? We have plenty of food on the table right now. Maybe we can figure out where you need to go to get home."

The girl smiled widely, "That would be amazing, thank you. I have some gold to pay you for the food and bed."

The man stepped back and held the door for the girl, "No need for that now; good manner say we should help travelers in need." He gave a short whistle and his dog jumped up and ran inside in front of the mage. The man shut the door behind the girl and led the way into a dining room. There was a woman seated at one end of the long table. Triff settled under the table, her fluffy tail lazily sweeping back and forth. Across the room, two more black and white dogs were sleeping peacefully on their sides. The woman looked up at their entrance and stood to set another place for the surprise guest.

"Now, then, my name's Erik owner of this humble farm, and this beauty is my wife, Carol," the man said, sliding a chair out for the girl to sit in.

The older woman chuckled as she heaped steaming food on the plate in front of their guest. "Silver tongued flatterer," she said giving the orange haired girl a quick grin. "What's your name, my dear?" the woman asked kindly, settling back into her seat.

"Natalie, I'm a mage," the girl said. She blinked at the looks of stunned amazement she received, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Erik assured her, sitting down, "It's just it's rare to meet someone who can use magic and use it well enough to claim they are a mage."

Carol gave Natalie a scrutinizing look, "And you're awfully young to have the experience." She turned to her husband, "Well, it's doubtful she's with the king, sexist man that he is."

The man shook his head, "She's not. She isn't even from anywhere around here."

"I promise I'm not lying about the magic," Natalie said quickly, "I can give you an example, if you want."

The two older people turned to the mage with matching warm smiles.

"Oh, we don't think you're lying, dear," Carol assured the girl.

"No, we're definitely doubting you so we can see some magic," Erik said with a cheeky grin at his wife. He laughed at the face he got in return.

Natalie laughed, "I can show you either way. It's nice to have someone believe me right away. Usually I have to torch some monster to get their opinions to change." She smiled at the excited looks she got, "What do you want to see? I can do just about anything for black and white magic."

Carol exchanged a glance with her husband. Turning back she said, "How about after dinner? We have some dead plants gathered in the yard that we need burned."

"Sounds good to me," the mage said with a shrug. She scooped some of the mashed potatoes in front of her into her mouth. Swallowing she gave her hosts a big smile, "This is delicious!" She then dug into the rest of her food, eating with relish.

The two older people grinned as the food vanished from in front of Natalie. They turned their attentions to their own plates and ate in studious silence. After the food was gone and the plates stacked to be washed, the mage let out a sigh.

"That was the best food I think I've ever eaten," Natalie said.

"Thank you, dear," Carol said, "It's always nice to have such an enthusiastic eater."

"You'd love my friend, Matt, then. At least until he ate you out of house and home," the girl joked.

Erik laughed, "We had three young boys and a girl who ate every night like they'd never eaten before. They're all grown and moved away now, of course, though." He gave an excited grin, "Now how about that magic?"

"I swear, Erik, you are just like a child at times," his wife sighed. Despite the admonishment, a gleam of excitement could be seen in her eyes.

The three headed outside, taking care to keep Triff shut in. Erik held a lantern in one hand and led the way to a pile of dead branches and leaves that had been gathered in a bonfire pit. Natalie motioned for the couple to stand back and brought out her staff. A few seconds later and she sent a fireball into the pile. The dry material caught immediately, flames licking across the pile and sparks leaping into the sky. The couple clapped at the display. Natalie grinned and focused on the leaping flames. A spilt second later, and ice spread over the pile, smothering the fire. A second after that and she cast another fire spell and stood back to let the pile burn.

"And there you go! One less pile of yard trimmings," the mage said with a smile. "Do you want to see healing next?"

Erik nodded while Carol frowned. "Don't you need a wound to heal first?" she asked in concern.

Natalie nodded, "It's okay; I'll just give myself a little burn with the fire and I'll heal that."

"I don't want you to hurt yourself," Erik said worriedly.

"I promise that a small burn is a pretty minor injury compared to some I've had and healed," the mage assured.

Natalie stepped forward to the dying fire and pressed one finger to a heated branch. She then walked back over and held the finger out for the couple to see while she cast heal. A heavenly white light surrounded her body and the wound simply vanished. Gasps came from the couple as they stared at the smooth, healed skin.

"That's amazing!" Carol said. "And you say you can heal worse?"

"Yup, I've mended breaks, sprains, way worse of burns, bites, cuts, fevers, so on," Natalie confirmed with a nod.

Erik whistled in amazement, "Wow, and you're so young, too. What were you doing that led to those kinds of injuries?" He turned and lead the way back inside.

"My friends, especially Matt and Lance, and I tend to get into stupid situations with painful consequences," the mage said with a sigh.

Carol smiled as they settled down on soft chairs in a sitting room, "They're lucky to have such a talented friend, then. Where are they now?"

Natalie frowned, "I'm not sure, actually. Not too far, I hope. Matt poked some magic bubble and there was a bright flash of light. The next thing I know, I'm waking up alone on a hill few miles from here." She sighed, "Now I'm going to have to go find them. And chew Matt out for not listening when I say _no touchy_."

Erik leaned back, rubbing his chin, "We haven't seen anyone not from around here in many weeks—apart from you, of course."

Carol nodded, "He's right. You have your work cut out for you." She leaned forward, "Also, I suggest you keep your attacking magic quiet. The king has been gathering up anyone who has any talent and they're never seen again. Healing is fine, but avoid using black magic, if you can."

"I'll do my best, thank you for the warning" the mage said. She yawned suddenly and blushed, "Sorry, we did some hiking today and now I'm exhausted."

Erik stood up, "It's late anyway, let me show you to a guest room." He glanced at his wife, "I'll see you in our room, dear."

Carol nodded, "Good night, Natalie, and thank you for showing us your magic. It was very impressive!"

"Goodnight, Carol, thank you both again for the wonderful dinner and letting me stay the night," Natalie said.

The mage followed Erik up a flight of stairs and wished him goodnight before shutting the door. She pulled the sheets back on the bed and flopped down with a sigh to stare up at the dark ceiling. "Great, I'm in some foreign land with a crazy king, alone, and I don't even know which way to go to get home or find my friends," Natalie murmured. She rolled onto her side, tugged the sheets up, and shut her eyes, feeling a brief flash of loneliness. Her last thought before drifting off was, " _I hope they're okay._ "

 **DDDDDD**

Natalie woke early the next day and came down the stairs to find Carol already up and attempting to get Triff to settle down before placing the dog's breakfast on the floor. The other dogs were patiently sitting, brown eyes fixed on the bowl of food the woman held.

"Down, girl, down!" Carol scolded. Still, Triff bounced around.

"Triff, sit girl," Natalie said firmly. To her and Carol's surprise, the dog immediately sat down beside her siblings.

"Finally," Carol sighed. She set the large bowl of food down and snapped her fingers. The three dogs bounced forward and began devouring the scraps in the bowl. Standing straight, the woman turned to smile at Natalie, "Thank you, dear. Triff is just so rambunctious; she hardly pays attention to anything I or Erik say."

Natalie smiled, "No problem." She cocked her head slightly when Triff looked, up from the food and barked once. "She says she thinks it's funny to give you a hard time," the mage said.

Carol blinked at the younger girl, "Mage and dog-whisperer, huh?"

"Er, I guess so," Natalie said with a laugh. She didn't bother trying to explain that she could, in fact, understand dogs and cats; she was aware of how crazy that sounded. "Can I help with breakfast?"

The older woman smiled with a nod and turned to lay some bacon strips out on a pan. Immediately, the meat began to sizzle and the smell of cooking bacon filled the house. Natalie stepped forward and began slicing some bread, laying the pieces out on a long dish. She then moved to crack some eggs into another pan. Soon, the two women had a lovely breakfast laid out on the table.

Erik slumped into the room right as they set the last dish down. He flopped into a seat with a mumbled, ' _good morning_ ' and began filling his plate with food. His wife kissed his cheek on her way past to her own chair. Natalie sat down across from them and felt Triff curl up on the floor at her feet. The three ate in companionable silence. After the food was finished, they sat around sipping water until Natalie sighed and stood up.

"Thank you for letting me stay and feeding me," she said with a smile. She glanced out the window, "I should get going to find my friends."

Erik smiled, "You are very welcome. You were a wonderful guest."

"Indeed, and thank you for the display last night," Carol said. She frowned, "I'm a little wary of you traveling alone, though. You don't even know if your friends are nearby."

Natalie shrugged, "I don't have much choice. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've journeyed alone." Triff sat up and barked as the mage turned for the door. The mage leaned down to rub her ears "I'm gonna miss you too, sweetie. You be a good girl for these two, okay?" She stood up straight and began walking with a final wave to the people still seated at the table. The dog whined and followed Natalie a few paces. "Stay girl," the mage commanded.

Erik and Carol exchanged stunned glances as the dog sat down and waited. Erik spoke up, "Hold on a minute, Natalie."

The mage paused with her hand on the doorknob. She looked back, "Yes?"

"Take Triff with you," the man offered.

Natalie blinked in surprise, "I couldn't."

Carol spoke up, "Sure you can. She likes and listens to you. We need to find good homes for her and her siblings, anyway."

"I don't _have_ a home," the mage said with a doubtful look at Triff, who was giving her puppy-eyes. "Stop that," she said with a laugh at the dog. Triff barked and gave her a happy-dog smile.

Erik nodded, "Perhaps not, but she's too intelligent and energetic to be a normal house pet and no one around here needs another herding dog. Besides, it will make us feel much better if you aren't completely alone while you travel."

Natalie frowned thoughtfully, eyeing Triff. She finally smiled, "Okay, fine. Lance is going to kill me, though." She looked up at the two older people smiling at her, and reached for her Adventure Pouch, "I insist on giving you some money for her. I have plenty so don't worry about my funds."

The two sighed, but nodded. Natalie stacked one thousand gold and two rubies on the table. With a final wave, smile, and a thank you, the mage and her new dog walked out the door. Natalie smiled as Triff bounded ahead a short ways and began sniffing at every bush they passed. The dog periodically glanced back at the mage to check how far away she was. The pair came to a crossroads that headed north and south.

Natalie frowned at the two choices. "Which way do you think we should go, Triff?" she asked the dog. Triff barked and headed north. The mage laughed, "I like you. You remind me of my friend, NoLegs." The dog wagged her tail and whined. Natalie sighed, "No, he isn't here right now. He must be with one of the others, or maybe he's still back home." She smiled down at Triff and stopped walking.

Immediately, the dog stopped, too, watching the mage with a tilted head. "Can I give you a ribbon?" she asked, "NoLegs always hated it when I tried to tie one on him. He said it was too girly." Triff sat down and gave her a dog smile. Natalie grinned back and reached into her Adventure Pouch to retrieve a long red ribbon. She knelt down and tied a loose bow around Triff's neck. "There," the mage said standing up, "it looks great! Plus, it will defend you from fire."

She and Triff started walking again, "Now let's find the others!" Triff barked excitedly.

 **DDDDDD**

The two had been traveling for two weeks, only passing the occasional farmhouse and traveler. Natalie had found that Triff's excellent senses and sharp mind made her an excellent watchdog. She had worried that feeding her new friend would be difficult, but that soon vanished as she found out that Triff would eat just about anything. The dog was also incredibly helpful in battle. She was small compared to most of the monsters, but fast and agile—easily running circles around their foes. While the dog nipped at a monster, Natalie would prepare a spell to finish the creature off.

Finally, the pair spotted a cluster of buildings in the distance and Natalie sighed in relief. She hoped that someone in the village would have seen one of her friends. The mage missed them horribly and was thankful she wasn't traveling completely alone. Natalie and Triff stepped onto the wide main street and wandered down it, looking for a good place to ask for information. They rounded a corner to see an open-air market had been set up and villagers were bustling around, buying food and trinkets from the many venders.

"This looks like as good a place as any to ask, plus I can get some supplies. Stay close and don't touch anything, Triff," Natalie said.

The two moved along the vendors. Natalie asked all the stall owners she bought from if any of them had seen people who looked like her friends or heard of any of the places she knew. By the end of the excursion, the mage had a small bundle of goods, but no information on her friends or where to go to get home. She sat down under a nearby tree and tore a chunk off of a bread loaf she had bought and set it down for Triff. Natalie sighed as she munched on the other half of the bread, watching the crowd.

"Maybe I'm the only one of us in this stupid kingdom," she murmured sadly. The mage smiled as Triff nudged her leg with her nose. "Of course you're here, too," she said rubbing the dog's head between her ears, "It's still too soon to say we won't find them."

A sudden commotion at the other end of the market caught the pair's attention. Triff stood up, ears pricked warily. Natalie sprang up with a frown as she heard a voice calling for help. The two shoved their way through the crowd to find a man covered in blood, sagging between two others. A nasty claw mark ran diagonally across his chest. Natalie's hand flew to her mouth in shock as the two supporting the injured man called for anyone with medical skills. Panic began to sweep through the crowd until Natalie stepped forward.

"Set him down gently," the mage ordered calmly, but firmly. The crowd's panic began to die as she swiftly took charge. Natalie pulled out her staff as the man was laid down. As soon as the pair stepped away, she cast a powerful heal spell on the wounded man. There were surprised gasps as the wound sealed up and the tear in his shirt vanished along with the blood. The man stopped groaning and sat up, amazement on his face as he felt his chest. Natalie lowered her staff, "You should be fine now. Be more careful next time you go hunting monsters."

With that, the mage turned and slipped away with Triff on her heels before the stunned crowd had a chance to recover and stop her. The two turned down an alley and relaxed, thinking they had escaped without any further attention. A voice called out behind them and the pair spun around to see a young girl with her blond hair pulled into twin braids watching them. Natalie sighed and motioned the girl forward. She wanted to get the praise over with quickly and then leave town before somebody decided they wanted her to teach them.

"Uh, thank you for healing my big brother," the girl said quietly. She stepped forward and pressed a ripe apple into the mage's hand.

Natalie smiled, "You're very welcome, I'm glad I was able to help."

The girl grinned, showing she was missing one of her two front teeth, "You have a pretty dog." She stepped back again with a confused frown, "Why'd you run away immediately?"

"I'm looking for my friends and I didn't want to get caught up in the praise," Natalie admitted truthfully. "Besides, it was something any decent person would have done if they were able. I don't need praise for that. And this dog is my friend, Triff."

Triff barked once and wagged her tail as the girl reached out to pet her.

The girl giggled as Triff licked her hand. She looked up at Natalie again, "That's sad that your friends are lost. My parents run the inn. Maybe they're staying there?"

Natalie shook her head, "No one at the market has seen them, so I doubt that."

"Maybe mom and dad have heard of them, then?" the girl suggested. She grinned, "You should come and ask. I'll make sure they don't thank you for saving my brother."

The mage laughed, "I don't think your parents would let my friend here inside. Thank you for the offer, though."

The girl pouted, "But they like dogs. I bet Triff could stay with you."

"Still, I'm in a bit of a rush," Natalie insisted, "Tell your brother to take care."

"She won't have too," a young man said causing Natalie to look up sharply, "You already told me that. Who are these friends you're looking for?"

Natalie sighed, giving up on getting away. "There's a green-haired girl who uses a bow named Anna, blond-haired swordsman named Matt, and a grumpy magic swordsman with red hair named Lance," the mage listed rapidly. She doubted that either of these two would have heard of them.

"I met a girl matching that description a week ago," the young man said.

Natalie gaped at him, eyes wide. Her face split into a smile, "Really? Where? Do you know where she was heading?"

The man nodded, 'She just showed up out of nowhere and took out the people that were attacking my group with some insane archery. She mentioned that she was looking for her friends, but didn't give much description on them."

"That sounds like Anna, all right," Natalie said with a massive smile, "Did she say where she was going?" Her smile faded as the young man shook his head, "Darn."

The young man glanced down the alley before leaning closer and lowering his voice to a whisper, "She's wanted by the king now. The people she saved us from were guards that belonged to the king and now he's put a bounty on her head for 'interfering with the recruitment.'"

Natalie's jaw dropped, "You're joking." She sighed as the man shook his head, "That sounds just like her, too. She's not afraid to stand up to people she disagrees with. Unfortunately, she also doesn't think things through." The mage frowned and looked away while she chewed on her lower lip. Finally, she looked back, "Can you tell me where you saw her?"

"Sure, head directly north out of town and walk until you find a crossroads marked with three large rocks then head west. About four miles in that direction is where I saw her," the man informed.

"Thank you," Natalie said with a nod. She paused before adding in a pleading tone, "Please don't tell anyone else what you just told me. Anna's a good person and I don't want to see her dead or behind bars."

The young man looked over the mage in front of him, "I heard what you said to my sister about the praise. Maybe you're right about that, but you saved my life today; the least I can do is try to protect you and your friends." He glanced at his younger sister, "And she'll keep her mouth shut, too, don't worry. She's a lot smarter than she lets on." He turned back to face Natalie, "I believe you about your friend. Frankly, I'm thankful to her for stopping the soldiers from taking me and my own friends away to join their army and I'm impressed that she's so fearless about doing what she believes is right. Take care on your journey and be careful who you question when looking for your friends, alright?"

Natalie nodded and said one last thank you and a goodbye before she slipped out of the alley. Triff followed silently at her heels and they made a straight path heading north out of town. A few hours of walking and the two reached the three large stones and turned west. The sun was dipping below the horizon before they reached the point the man had told them about. To Natalie's disgust and dismay, the bodies of the soldiers were still there.

"Yuck," the mage said to Triff, "you'd think someone would bury them at the very least." The dog whined in agreement. Natalie covered her nose with her sleeve and stepped forward to inspect the bodies, trying to avoid looking at the decaying faces. Almost all of them had been killed by an arrow through the chest plate. "Yup, those arrows came from Anna, I recognize the fletching," she confirmed. Stepping back gratefully, she lowered her arm, "Too bad you've never met her before; you could probably track her scent from here. Well, maybe; it has been a week since she did this." Triff whined again and Natalie gave her a smile, "I'm not blaming you, don't worry." She sighed and looked around the area. "At least we know I'm not the only one who got sent here. I guess we should just go around to the nearby towns and villages and ask about any strangers passing through," the mage decided.

Triff barked and continued heading west along the trail. Natalie followed close behind.

 **DDDDDD**

The mage picked her profile to be a traveling healer; it was close enough to the truth that telling her story was easy. People willingly spoke with her while she worked to heal anyone who needed her help. And although she didn't charge for her services, many paid her anyway and the money she earned was usually enough to pay for rooms and supplies. People soon began to recognize her and Triff, and when they walked into a village they were greeted with smiles and laughs. Natalie would smile and wave at the people she passed, inwardly hoping that she wouldn't attract the wrong attention.

Three weeks had passed since they had left the corpses behind. During that time, Natalie and Triff stopped by any and all villages to discretely ask for information. They frequently saw brutality from the king's soldiers and discontent from his people. They heard rumors about strange demons and a rebel group that wanted to see the king deposed. Sadly, they never heard anything about Anna or any of Natalie's other friends. She began to think that maybe Anna had already moved on to escape capture.

The healer bowed to her most recent patient: a young woman who had been helping her parents set up a shelf only to have the thing collapse and land on her ankle. The injury had been a bad sprain, not a break, but it was painful all the same; Natalie had no trouble fixing it. The woman and her parents had paid the healer handsomely for her help, despite the protests she had made. She had just begun to leave town when she heard footsteps running up from behind her. The healer and Triff spun around. Natalie's shoulders were tense and Triff's hackles were raised. A split second later, they both relaxed, recognizing the man panting in front of them with his hands raised in peace.

"Jeromy?" Natalie asked in confusion. He had been a traveler they had come across on the road who had slipped off of a rock and broken an arm.

The man nodded as he down gulped air. As soon as he had calmed enough, he began to speak rapidly, "I'm so glad I caught you in time, Milady. There's an emergency case at a village three-four days walk from here."

Natalie frowned in concern, "Please, it's Natalie, and you can tell me on the way. Let's go."

The man nodded and turned, leading the healer south. As they jogged, he explained what he knew, "I was at the village buying some food for the road and sharing gossip; you, the recent happenings with the king, and so on. On my way out, a man came running in begging me to find you. Apparently, soldiers came through wanting more money and he wasn't home when they stopped by his house."

"Of course they did—like the people have anything left to give," Natalie muttered with a snort.

Jeromy nodded, his face darkening, "Of course. Anyway, the man's wife didn't have enough to satisfy them. What generally happens then is that they cart the 'insubordinate' away."

"Oh, no," Natalie murmured, "she tried to fight, didn't she."

"No, but their guest did," the man said darkly, "He got them outside, away from the woman and her children, and got beaten instead. Now he's in critical condition and the only good news is that the guards left the family alone."

Natalie swallowed, "That's horrible. I hope we make it in time." She sped up slightly with a silent prayer to whatever god was listening to help the man hold on.

 **DDDDDD**

What had would have been a four day trip Natalie, Triff, and Jeromy made in two with only one stop for sleep and food. The healer had them jogging almost the entire time casting spells to make them faster. They were met at the entrance by a man with a stressed expression who introduced himself as Harold, the one who had requested the healer's aid. Natalie gave a handful of gold to Jeromy with a huge thank you and sent him to get some rest. She and her dog then followed Harold to his home, the healer demanding details on the man's condition.

"He's in a bad way," the man said with a tired and fearful frown. "He has several broken ribs. His shoulder is still dislocated because we're afraid to move him. He's still covered in cut and bruises. But the worst thing of all is that he developed a fever within a day of the beating. We've done what we can to keep him hydrated and to control the fever, but he's slipping." He shook his head as they turned into his yard, "He's been hallucinating for the last day or so and we've had to restrain him more than once to keep his cuts from reopening."

Natalie's face was horrified at the news, "Is that everything, or is there more?"

Harold hesitated, "There's more, but it isn't related to the beating."

The healer gave the man's back a puzzled look as he opened the door, but didn't say anything. At his wave she stepped inside the doorway and froze upon seeing a very familiar blond lying on the floor, being tended by a woman with brown hair. " _Matt?!_ " Natalie cried in disbelief, "Hang on, I'm going to fix you up again, don't worry." The healer didn't notice the sharp jerk Harold gave as she spoke, her attention focused on her weak and beaten friend.

The blond swordsman she had been searching for was lying on a blanket on the floor. His face was gaunt, pale, and glistened with sweat; a washcloth was folded on his brow. His breathing came in shallow and uneven rasps. His bare chest was misshapen from the broken ribs and far thinner than Natalie remembered. His pale body was marred with massive bruises and cuts that had been smeared with some kind of herbal salve. For a moment his blue eyes slid open, but they were glazed and bright with fever.

Matt stared at Natalie for a few seconds but didn't seem to understand what she had said and he didn't say anything as she prepared a powerful heal spell. Matt's eyes slid closed again as the healer's magic illuminated the hut. The swordsman's ribs clicked back into place and the bruises faded. Next, his shoulder slid back into the socket with a loud _pop_. Finally, the cuts all over his body knit shut, leaving behind smooth, pale skin. Matt took a deep, raspy breath at the comforting touch of the white magic.

Behind her, Natalie heard several voices murmur in awe at the display. The mage ignored them and began casting a second spell to cleanse the infection and fever still running rampant in Matt's body. A small glowing symbol appeared over the blonde's body and ethereal feathers showered down to disappear in sparkles. Instantly, Matt's breathing became clear and steady and his eyes opened again. "Matt…" Natalie breathed in relief. She smiled as his eyes slid shut once more and he fell into a peaceful sleep.

Natalie shuddered in relief as she turned to the people who had been taking care of her friend. Besides Harold, there were a woman and two children, whom, Natalie assumed, were his wife and kids. Tears prickled in her eyes as she thanked them. "You have no idea how grateful I am to you for keeping him alive until I got here," she whispered. The healer turned back to Matt and carefully brushed his blond bangs back from his forehead, removing the now unnecessary washcloth.

"So you know Matt?" Harold finally said. There was a strange note to his voice, almost like disbelief. "Can I ask your name?"

"Natalie, I'm a mage," Natalie said turning around again and standing up, "And yes, I know him. Matt's an old friend of mine. We've been adventuring together for years." She sighed, "I've been looking for him and the other two for weeks, now. I have a shaky lead on Anna so I thought I'd find her first." She frowned, "I figured he would have mentioned me to you at some point if he's been staying here; unless I have that wrong?" Her frown deepened as each of the four people flinched, "What's the matter?"

Harold glanced at his wife as he said, "You might want to sit down for this."

"He didn't do anything stupid did he?" Natalie asked with wary half-smile. She lowered herself into a chair and accepted the cup of tea handed to her.

"Besides taking on eight guards by himself with no weapons?" the man's wife asked with a weak smile. "My name is Mary, Harold's wife, by the way. These two are our sons, John and Jake." The boys waved as they were called.

Natalie's eyes narrowed, recognizing a stall, "Pleased to meet you all, but what has you so concerned?" She frowned, "I'm not with the king, if that's what this is about."

Harold shook his head and sighed, "About six weeks ago, the boys found Matt on the road nearby; he was unconscious at the time. The long story short is that they woke him and brought him here." He frowned in pity and sorrow, "The bad part—and this is going to be hard for you to hear—is that he hit his head, hard, and doesn't remember much of anything about himself. The reason he never told us about you is that he doesn't remember you."

Natalie's jaw dropped and she stared at them in horror. "You're joking," the mage said weakly, "He can't have forgotten all about me and the others! We've been friends for _years_! We fought and defeated gods! And I know he's had bumps to the head before. He can't have forgotten _everything_!" She twisted in her seat to stare at her where her friend lay sleeping on the floor.

Mary's voice was quiet as she spoke, "I wish it weren't true, either. I never knew him before, obviously, but he's been living with us for a month and a half now. I can see he's a sweet young man, and the fact that he can't remember has been eating at him."

John spoke up, "He didn't even know his own name when we met him. It was only after he found a note in his bag addressed to him from a Lance that we figured that out. And then we just guessed that he was Matt, not Lance." The teen shook his head, "He remembers a few things every now and then. Never enough to give a name or distinct face, but he mentioned that he was pretty sure he had several good friends."

"Oh, Matt," Natalie murmured as she looked at the blond. Her heart broke as she listened to them explain what they knew. She finally turned back to the others, "At least he was safe. Thank you."

"Not safe enough," Harold muttered. "Other than the beating he took several days ago, the first night he was here, we had dragged him part of the way back. He'd gotten hurt defending himself and the boys from a full-grown Horned Wolf. That was right after the boys found him, so he was already injured and they said Matt had told them he wasn't sure he even knew how to use the sword he had been found with."

"I'm guessing he did, though," Natalie said quietly, "Or his body did, at least."

Jake piped up, "Yeah, he was amazing! Can you tell me if he's a heroic knight? Matt always says he doubts it, but I think he must be."

The mage grinned weakly at the boy's enthusiasm. "He's not a knight, no," she laughed at the put out look the boy gave and went on, "But he is a hero."

"I knew it! _I knew it!_ " Jake screeched loudly in excitement.

The sound was enough to rouse Matt. The five people gathered around the table spun at the groan that came from the blond. Natalie sprang up from her seat to rush over and kneel by her waking friend. The family gathered behind her and silently watched.

"Matt?" Natalie asked hesitantly. She watched with a hopeful look as Matt slowly opened his eyes. The mage hoped against hope that maybe he would recognize her, after all. That maybe her healing had fixed whatever else had been wrong with him besides the beating. Her hopes were dashed as his blue eyes stared at her blankly with no lightening of happiness at seeing her.

"Do I… know you?" Matt asked slowly with his brow furrowed in confusion.

Natalie nearly sobbed at the question. She wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. "Maybe not now, but I know you," she told him. To her surprise, Matt smiled.

"I thought you looked familiar," he mumbled, "I mean, I don't _know_ you, but I kind of recognize your face. Not being able to remember sucks."

"I heard you bumped your head and forgot some stuff," Natalie said with a watery smile, "You always did get into the most ridiculous of situations. Don't worry: I'll do my best to help you remember everything." She frowned, "How are you feeling? You were in the worst shape I think I've ever seen you when I came in."

Matt slowly pushed himself to sit up. "Pretty good, actually," he said with a tired grin that Natalie was heartened to see. "I'm thirsty and feel like I could eat this house, though," he added.

Jake squeaked, "But where will we sleep if you eat the house?"

John laughed. "Maybe he'll eat us, too," he suggested with a grin at the horrified look on the boy's face.

Their mother gave an amused sigh, "Let me see what I can find to save us from that. In the meantime, John please get Matt a cup of water."

"Nothing solid," Natalie warned as the teen ran to grab a cup and fill it with water from a bucket by the door, "His stomach probably won't be able to handle it."

"My stomach can handle anything," Matt protested. He flinched at the glare the mage sent his way. "That look is familiar," he mumbled nervously.

Natalie's lips twitched into a small smile, "You get it a lot, maybe that's why."

Harold grinned at the pair on the floor, "I'm glad you made it, Matt. I admit I thought you might not for a day or so, there. Luckily, Natalie here is as skilled as they claimed."

"She's the best at what she does," Matt said with a shrug. He froze, "How do I know that?"

Everyone's faces split into huge smiles. John returned with the cup of water and handed it to Matt. The swordsman slowly drained the cup and set it aside with a small grin. Mary walked over with a bowl of broth from the soup she had made for dinner. With a sigh of disappointment at the lack of solid food, Matt accepted the bowl and drank that too. Shortly after he finished it, though, he began to feel queasy, and he lay back down to settle his turning stomach.

"Betrayed," he moaned dramatically with his eyes closed. He smiled at the familiar laughs that rang out across the house joined by the strange-and-yet-familiar voice of Natalie.

"I told you so," the mage said. She chuckled as Matt cracked one eye open to mock-glare at her. Natalie's eyes widened, "I forgot about Triff! She's probably still outside!"

Jake glanced out the door. "Is Triff your dog? There's a black and white one sleeping in the yard out here," he called back. The dog raised her head at her name and barked once.

"Yes, she's my friend," Natalie said with a smile. She glanced at Matt, "You wouldn't know her, though. I just got her a few weeks ago."

Matt grinned, shutting his eye again, "I don't mind; I like dogs. Lance will be mad, though." His eyes snapped open, "I remembered something else!"

Natalie beamed, "Maybe you just need some familiar faces and things." She shook her head, "For now, though, you need rest and food. You're body's very weak from the infection. Go to sleep."

Matt was already drifting off as he mumbled about not being tired. As soon as he fell asleep, Natalie covered him with the blanket he had pushed aside. She stood up and smiled tiredly at the family who were smiling back, glancing between her and Matt. Mary held out another bowl filled with soup. The mage gratefully accepted the warm food and devoured it.

"This is amazing," Harold finally said; his eyes bright with excitement, "Matt was beginning to give up on ever remembering much of anything or having anyone come who knew him, but now that you've shown up and he's seen you, stuff is coming back to him." He frowned suddenly, "Maybe we were holding him back by insisting he stay here until he remembered enough or one of his friends found him."

With a shake of her head, Natalie spoke, "No, it was far better that you kept him here. Matt is a good person, but he's very strong and can be very dangerous. Even if he survived on his own that first night—which I have almost no doubt he would have—he'd have fought in front of, or against, the wrong people. Then the king's army would have snapped him up in a heartbeat. And with no memory, he might have just gone with them."

"You think?" Mary asked with a frown. "He hates the injustices the kings been doing."

"Matt's not the most… active of thinkers," Natalie said with a frown, "His morals, while mostly sound, have a big grey area; or at least they used to, anyway. If the soldiers told him he'd get to fight and be paid for it, he'd have gone, no questions asked." She shook her head with fond smile at the sleeping blond, "He'd never attack someone who couldn't or wouldn't defend themselves and he wouldn't purposefully be mean to most people, but he has had some questionable hobbies in the past. None in recent times, but that's mostly because I and our friend Anna wouldn't stand for it."

"He's been a good guy all around in the time we've known him," Harold said with a shrug.

Jake bounced in place, "You said he's a hero. Can you tell us his story?"

John frowned at his brother, "Can you keep quiet while she tells it?"

"Now, now boys," Mary sighed, averting the argument before it could happen.

"You two remind me of Matt and Lance," Natalie grinned, "I'll tell you his story when he wakes up. Who knows, maybe it will help him remember something?"

Harold smiled, "Good plan. For now, how about you get some sleep? You look exhausted."

"I am," the mage admitted, "Jeromy and I jogged almost the whole way here and the trip took two days."

Jake stared at her, "I can't imagine running for two whole days."

"I try to avoid doing it," Natalie said with a grin. She turned to the two adults, "So where do you want me to sleep?"

The couple exchanged a glance. Finally, Mary spoke, "I hate to ask this of you, but do you mind sleeping on the floor? We didn't have enough beds even before we took in Matt and I really think he should rest in John's bed for now."

"That's fine—I'm used to sleeping on the ground. Just get me some blankets and I'll be okay," the mage said with a shrug. She hesitated before asking, "Can Triff come in? I promise she won't chew your furniture or pee on the floor."

Harold smiled as he carefully scooped Matt off of the floor, "Of course she can. Border collies are sweet and smart dogs; she'll be hurt if we make her sleep outside while you get to be in."

Natalie smiled, "Thank you!" She got up and opened the door, "C'mere, Triff!" She smiled as her dog's head shot up with perked ears. Seeing the mage at the door, she stood up and shook herself before trotting inside. Natalie shut the door again and bent down to scratch her dog's chin, "Thank you for waiting patiently." Triff wagged her tail and followed the mage across the room to a pile of blankets that had been dropped for her by the fire.

The mage arranged the blankets into a passable bed before she said goodnight the family. Natalie crawled under the topmost blanket and smiled as she felt Triff curl up behind her back. Snuggling closer to the familiar and comforting warmth, Natalie closed her eyes. " _I hope I can get Matt to remember himself soon,_ " she thought, " _He looked so upset when he couldn't tell if he knew me or not. At least he had a good family to watch out for him._ " A few minutes later, and the mage fell asleep.

 **DDDDDD**

The next morning, Natalie was awoken by Triff nudging her neck with a cold nose. The mage groaned and rolled over to peer at the dog. After a short staring contest, Natalie sighed and sat up with a yawn. She stumbled to her feet sleepily, leaving the pile of blankets by the dead fire, and moved to open the door. Triff shot out ahead of the mage and headed around back.

"Bury your stuff when you're done," Natalie called softly. She settled down to wait for her dog to finish, leaning back against the side of the house. A few minutes later and Harold poked his head out of the door in time to see Triff come running back.

"Good morning, Natalie, Triff," the man greeted, "Matt's awake if you want to check in on him."

Natalie stood up, "Are the other boys awake yet? I don't want to disturb them if they aren't."

Harold simply waved his hand, "They're probably awake already and just faking it to avoid their chores for another few minutes."

"Okay then," the mage said with a grin, "Let's see how Matt's doing then."

Natalie followed the man back inside, Triff close on her heels. Harold pushed the door to the boys' bedroom open and stepped aside to let the mage through. Matt was sitting up in a bed with a small grin on his face.

"I'm hungry," the swordsman announced, "Do I get real food today?"

"Of course you are," Natalie said with a roll of her eyes, "And you're probably okay for solid food now; you tend to recover quickly. Just don't overdo it. See if you can stand up with no problems." She glanced over at the two younger boys lying next to each other as Matt pushed himself upright with no difficulties. As their father had predicted, they were both awake and trying to pretend they weren't. Unfortunately for them, Natalie could see their eyelids twitch as they tried to watch what was going on without opening their eyes all the way.

"What's for breakfast," Matt asked suddenly, bringing the mage's attention back over to him.

"Dunno; you'd have to ask Harold or Mary," Natalie replied, "I'll probably head into town to get something. No point forcing them to feed me when I can pay for myself."

Matt twitched guiltily. "I've been doing that," he admitted quietly, "I mean, I gave them some loose gems I found in my pocket and I've been doing a little hunting, but I don't think that makes up for six weeks of room and board."

Before Natalie could respond, Mary bustled into the room. "Okay, John and Jake, time to get up. I know you're both awake, so don't try to say otherwise," she said brusquely, smiling as Jake faked a snore, "I also know you don't snore. Next time just keep quiet." The woman turned to the other two occupants, "Breakfast is on the table when you're ready."

Natalie grinned as Matt let out a cheer and rushed out. "Looks like he's much better now," the mage said. She looked over at Mary and added, "I'll be going into town for breakfast. I don't want to impose."

Mary hesitated, "Well, if you're sure." She smiled in relief as the other woman nodded, and admitted, "That's actually a huge relief. We only have one of the gems Matt gave us when he first got here left."

"I heard he had given you a few," Natalie said with a frown, "His Adventure Pouch should be stuffed with gold, though."

John piped up from where he was waiting for the women to leave so he could get changed, "We only ever found that note to Matt in there."

The mage blinked in confusion, "That's weird. I'll check it when I get back, I guess. See you all in a little while. Oh, and don't let Matt stuff himself too much. He's probably fine now, but better safe than sorry."

Mary nodded and waved goodbye. The mage called a quick 'see you in a bit' to Matt and walked out the front door with Triff trailing behind her. She strolled briskly down the street until she came to a small bakery. Natalie walked in and heard a small bell over the door ring to announce her entrance. An older woman called a greeting from where she was kneading dough at a counter in the back. She chatted with the old woman briefly before selecting a loaf and paying for it. A few minutes later and Natalie left the store and walked back to Harold's house, humming quietly to herself. As soon as she entered the yard the mage ripped a chunk off of the loaf and handed it to Triff.

"You stay out here, girl," Natalie said, "I've got to go tell a long story." She smiled as the dog settled down on her belly to start eating. "I'm back," the mage announced as she stepped inside.

Matt had his face in his arms on the table with a contented smile on his face. He sat up and grinned at Natalie as she settled down on the floor to eat her breakfast. "Can I have some?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure," the mage said with a laugh, "I bought way too much for one person and one dog, anyway." She pulled off a chunk and tossed it up to Matt who stuffed it in his mouth.

"Where does he put all that food?" Harold asked from his seat with a bemused smile.

"Who cares? I want to hear about Matt's heroic adventures!" Jake said suddenly.

He and John turned hopeful eyes on Natalie who simply smiled. She swallowed her mouthful of bread and said, "Sure, just let me eat first." She made quick work of her left over bread.

Natalie settled back with a grin, and told the first of Matt's adventures. The mage spent the next hour describing the waves of enemies she and Matt had fought before. The family and Matt listened in stunned disbelief as she told them of their final foe coming back as a zombie to try and defeat them. Jake squealed as the story came to a close only to quiet down as Natalie launched into the next one.

Hours later, and the sun well past its peak in the sky as Natalie finally stopped talking. Her voice was hoarse by the end, despite the short break they had taken for food and drink. The mage gulped down the glass of water handed to her and set it aside with a sigh.

"Those were awesome! I knew you were the greatest hero ever!" Jake shouted. He turned to Natalie, "And you can set things on fire just by pointing at it?!"

The mage grinned at him, "I can do a lot more than that."

John was beaming, "That was the coolest story ever. I dunno what a gun is, but it sounds awesome." His smile subsided some as he glanced over at Matt, "Did it ring any bells for you?"

"They did," the swordsman said with a big smile, "I could see some of the things she was describing in my head. Although, it still feels like some kind fairy-tale, and some of the parts seemed completely made-up and unfamiliar."

Harold shook his head in disbelief, "They _sounded_ like some kind of fairy-tales, but I've seen you use a sword. You have a lot of skill that can only be explained by having a lot of experience."

Mary frowned, "I find it a little hard to believe that Matt's a thief, though. Now I'm worried about whether those gems he handed over were stolen, after all."

Natalie shook her head, "It's doubtful. Anna and I have really cracked down on Matt's and Lance's thieving. That reminds me, though. Matt, pass your Adventure pouch over; I'm going to try pulling some of your stuff out of it. Let's see if we can fish some gold-."

Her words were broken off by a loud knock on the door. Harold frowned and stood up to see who was there. A guard imperiously brushed past as soon as the door was opened. Everyone in the room stiffened. Natalie watched with worry, wondering what the matter was as he glanced around at them all.

"I'm looking for the healer," the guard loudly announced, "I was told that she is here."

Natalie froze for a brief second before she stood up. "That would be me," she quietly stated, "How can I help you?" Inwardly, she was panicking that her magic had finally attracted the king's attention. A quick glance at Matt revealed that he was frowning in concern.

"A little young, aren't you?" the guard asked skeptically. He waved his hand, "No matter, come with me."

"May I ask what for?" the mage said, gripping her staff tightly.

The guard made a small sound of irritation, but replied, "A couple of my fellow guardsmen suffered some arrow wounds and we would like you to come heal them before we leave for the capital."

Natalie relaxed slightly, "Very well, lead the way." She looked over at the others, "I'll be right back; promise."

Matt scrambled up, "I'll go with you!" He sent her a pleading look when she frowned, "I've been inside for days, and I want to walk around."

"Fine," the mage reluctantly sighed. It was probably the truth, but she knew that the real reason he wanted to go was because he was worried about her. Natalie was pleased to see the familiar protectiveness, but she worried that the swordsman would get hurt if this healing thing turned sour. They stepped outside and were joined by Triff.

The three followed behind the guard all the way to the edge of town and then up a slope. Soon, two other guards came into sight, standing not too far from a covered lump. Three horses were tied to a fence post nearby.

"So you're the healer, huh?" one of the guards asked, "I hope you're good, these wounds hurt."

Natalie's face flickered briefly with irritation at the comment, but she brushed it away. "I am good," she assured them. After a quick glance over the pair, she quickly spotted the blood-stained bandages. "You already got the arrows out, that's good. Let me pop a quick heal spell on you and then you'll be fine." She proceeded to do just that and the two guards sighed with relief. "I'm surprised you were both wounded," Natalie mentioned, "You have horses, after all. I'd think the archer would go for them, not you."

One spoke up, "She was a little devil. Really fast and before we knew it we'd both been shot. It hurt like hell. Thanks for the fix, by the way."

Natalie stilled. "Who was it?" she asked suddenly, faking a concerned tone, "Will I see them on the road?"

The guard that had led her there replied, "Some little girl trying her luck as a rebel outlaw. You won't need worry about her, she's already been caught. Want to see?"

Suspicions confirmed, Natalie nodded and watched as the guard walked over to the covered lump. He pulled the blanket off and there was Anna, bound with a trickle of dried blood on her grimacing face. The ranger's eyes were dazed and her pupils were dilated. A second later they closed with another wince. Another second after that and Natalie cast a massive fire spell on the guards. They screamed piercingly before cutting off as their ashes drifted away. The cloud of rage cleared from Natalie's mind and she spotted Matt gaping at her. Pushing his shock to the side, the mage knelt beside Anna.

"Anna! Anna, are you okay?" Natalie asked frantically. She grabbed the unresponsive ranger by the shoulder and rolled her to lie on her back, earning a pained whimper from her friend. Raising her staff again, Natalie cast a heal spell on the ranger and, to her relief, Anna's eyes opened, no longer dazed.

Natalie tossed a quick smile over her shoulder at Matt as Triff bounded forward to lick Anna's face, tail wagging. Her happiness faded slightly as she saw the swordsman was staring at their friend with a puzzled frown. The mage shook off her sadness. Matt's amnesia was getting better, and for now they could focus on the fact that team was almost whole again.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _And Natz has found Matt and is helping his animesia! Hooray! Anna's chapter is up next, so you can figure out what the heck she's been up to; though one of the most major things was already here._

Border collies are my favorite breed of dog. But, sadly, I'm allergic to dogs. :( This story is partially a place for me to put some of the things I want in life and cannot has. Besides, dogs are cool and she can talk to them anyway, so why not? Leave me a review and I'll see you next week!


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N:_** _Since I'm now uploading two chapters of '_ Retribution' _each week, I have the moved upload day for this story to Wednesday. Unfortunately, I only have two more chapters completed for this, so expect longer waits between updates._

 _Now then, time for Anna!_ :) _Plus, we'll get some more names for places in this chapter and a little more plot. I used a fantasy name generator to get a few ideas of what they should look/sound like, but the place/monster names used in this story are actually my own._

* * *

Anna found herself looking at her knees when she came to. The ranger blinked in confusion and tried to sit up. A second later she threw herself back down after she tipped and realized she was draped over a branch in a tree. Anna's heart pounded from the near fall as she tilted her head up to look between branches down at the ground far below. She groaned and carefully shifted until she was sitting upright and tightly gripped the branch she was sitting on to steady herself as the blood rushed away from her head.

"How the heck did I wind up here?" Anna muttered, rubbing her sore stomach. She laughed, "Lance would love this if he were here. He'd probably complain that this is something that happens to Matt after a of night drinking."

After a few moments the ranger peered down again and spied her Sky Feather bow snagged on the end of a branch further down. With a sigh, she began climbing down to retrieve her weapon before slipping the rest of the way out of the tree. Once back on solid ground, Anna checked her weapon and was pleased to find that it hadn't been damaged. Slipping the bow over her shoulder, the ranger looked around to forest she wound up in, wondering where the others were.

"Matt? Natz? Lance? You guys there?" Anna called. After a few seconds, when her only reply was an echo, she sighed, "Great, now what? I'm alone, I don't even know how I got here, and these trees don't look familiar."

The ranger leaned against the trunk of the tree she had woken up in and thought back to the last thing she could remember. "We were hiking up a mountain. There was that fight with the Wind Elementals," Anna slowly recalled aloud. She closed her eyes as she tried to remember what had happened next. Her eyes popped open again, "Right, and then we all got blown off the cliff and landed on a ledge further down. Matt saw that bubble of mana and poked it with his sword, despite the rest of us saying to leave it alone, and then there was that flash of light." The ranger growled, "Argh, I'm going to kick him when I find him."

Anna pushed off the trunk to stand up straight again and looked around. If she wanted to kick Matt for being stupid, she needed to find him first. The ranger still didn't recognize the forest she was in, and the trees were an unfamiliar species to her. They had large rounded, green-yellow leaves and their black bark was smooth. The thick foliage blocked out most of the sunlight and kept the forest floor dim.

Shrugging, Anna decided to just pick a direction and start walking. She smiled as she walked; even if she didn't know the forest, she loved being surrounded by trees again. She came across a stream and knelt down to drink and to refill her canteen. As she stood up again, Anna realized that where there was water, there was likely to be a path or settlement. The ranger grinned and started walking downstream alongside the water.

The ranger walked until the sun was setting and she was forced to stop for the night. She glanced around at the now-misty forest and wondered if she should risk starting a campfire while alone in unfamiliar territory. A second later, she shook her head as she realized how dumb that would be and hauled herself up into a nearby tree. Settling down on a thick branch with her back to the trunk, Anna dug through her Adventure Pouch and pulled out a few strips of the jerky she had packed to snack on. She wondered how far she would have to walk before finding someone who could give her directions as she tore off a piece of the tough meat with her teeth.

" _Not too far, I hope,_ " she thought as she chewed, " _This meat is good for a snack, but I don't want to be eating it for days._ "

Anna's thoughts were broken as an echoing cry of some kind of bird rang out through the trees. The ranger stilled with her hand tight on the bow slung over her shoulder. The cry came again, closer than before, and Anna slowly stood up on the branch and slid her weapon off of her arm. The monster came into sight with the beating of mighty wings just as the ranger nocked an arrow. Anna's jaw dropped at the sight of the massive bird as it set down on a different tree and called again.

The creature was twice the size of the ranger and had two sets of wings tucked against its body. The long curved beak of the bird gleamed in the moonlight, signifying that it was a bird of prey. Massive talons gripped the branch the monster was perched in. Its head twitched constantly and its yellow eyes flashed as it searched for a smaller animal to eat.

" _Or a smaller human,_ " Anna thought sardonically.

Her breath caught in her throat as the bird's head snapped around to stare at the human standing in the tree across from it. Yellow eyes gleamed as the bird opened its beak and let out another shrill cry, spreading its four wings. Anna loosed her arrow and watched with satisfaction as it sailed through the air to slam home in the center of the monster's mouth, making the screech cut off in a squawk. The force behind her shot sent the bird toppling backwards. It was dead before it hit the mist-covered ground.

The ranger peered down at the giant corpse. " _At least it was easy. I'd hate to run into one of those out in the open, though,_ " Anna thought with a shudder. She settled back down and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

Morning came quickly and Anna woke to the sound of birdsong to see the forest had lightened some from the sun, and the mist from the night before had dissipated. She slid out of the tree and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. The ranger briefly glanced over at where the corpse of the giant bird she had killed the day before had been as she turned to follow the river. She froze and whipped around with a gasp to stare. " _Where did the body go?_ " Anna thought in astonishment. She was a light sleeper and figured that she would've woken up if something had come to eat the bird. And yet she hadn't woken even once all night long.

With a shiver, the ranger moved over to where the giant bird had been to look for some sign of what could move a massive bird without making a sound. Anna frowned as, even after an extensive search of the ground, she couldn't find any evidence that the bird had been dragged. There were no tracks, no scuffmarks, no bones, and no blood; there weren't even any signs that someone had come along and covered the signs. All that marked that the bird's body had lain there at all were a few feathers that had drifted into a bramble bush and the dent where the creature's body had hit the ground. On the bright side, she also couldn't find any evidence that the bird had somehow survived and flown off. Anna glanced around the quiet forest, feeling a lot less comfortable than she had the day before. There was something in these woods big enough to silently carry off a massive corpse—and leave no trail while it did so.

The ranger stood up straight with her bow in hand. She turned to the river and started jogging along it, keeping her ears and eyes open for any change in the forest's atmosphere. She didn't want to be alone in this forest for any longer than was absolutely necessary. At one point, after a while of jogging, she heard a loud cracking-boom and jumped a foot in the air, heart racing, but then calmed herself with an irritated shake. " _Whatever that was, it sounded far away,_ " Anna scolded herself, " _It only seemed loud because of how quiet it is. Save the panic for a real problem._ "

Shaking her head, the ranger kept walking. A short while later and she stepped on something soft that writhed. Anna jumped back and watched wide-eyed as what she thought had just been a root, was actually the tail of an oversized lizard. The creature hissed at the ranger and spat some kind of purple mucus at her. Anna dove to the side, just barely dodging the spray, and snapped a few arrows off at the lizard. She gave a quiet cheer as her arrows pinned the monster to the ground, dead; two in its back and one through its head. A quick glance at the purple mucus left on the ground showed that it wasn't a corrosive substance, but Anna was willing to bet it was poisonous. She made a mental note to keep an eye out for where her feet were as well as the rest of her surroundings.

The stream continued winding through the trunks of the black trees. Anna never saw the path she had been hoping for, but finally, she could see the trees become less closely packed. Blue sky flickered between the leaves overhead. The ranger picked up her pace into a run, bursting out of the forest with an excited grin. She found herself on a hill at the edge of the woods with hilly grassland stretching out as far as she could see.

"Finally," Anna said with a sigh of relief, "I don't think I've ever been so glad to be out of a forest."

Shielding her eyes from the bright afternoon sun, Anna scanned the landscape, looking for some signs of civilization. With a grin, she spotted a long dirt road slipping in and out of sight between the hills in the distance. The ranger started a brisk walk down the hill, heading for the road. A gentle breeze made the long grass ripple in waves and kept Anna from being too warm from the midday sunlight. She welcomed the bright atmosphere after her trek through the forest, and was glad that there seemed to be few monsters about. The ranger glanced at the sky every so often to make sure another giant bird wasn't going to swoop down on her, but the skies remained perfectly clear.

It was about an hour before sunset when Anna finally stepped out of the tall grass and onto the dirt road. A quick glance at the ground told her that the road was commonly used, so the chances were good that she would come across someone who could tell her where she had wound up. Even as she had the thought, Anna heard some people talking, their voices carried on the wind and getting louder with each moment. She grinned and made her way towards the travelers.

Anna followed a shallow turn around a grassy hill to see a small group of four travelers hauling handcarts walking towards her, talking and laughing. A young man with sandy blond hair at the lead of the group spotted the ranger, flashing a bright smile as she waved.

"Hey, stranger; beautiful day, huh?" he called in a friendly voice. The rest of the group glanced up at his greeting and nodded to the girl with smiles all around.

With a grin Anna nodded, "It sure is! I don't suppose you could tell me where I am or point the way to the nearest town, could you?"

The man glanced back at his companions who all nodded. Turning back he smiled, "We're actually on our way to a village for market day, would you like to travel with us?"

"That would be great, thank you," Anna said gratefully. She fell in with the travelers and they exchanged names.

Mitch was the man who had greeted her. An older man with graying brown hair introduced himself as Mike. Jennifer, the sole girl in their group, had light brown hair that brushed her shoulders. And finally there was an older teen with brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail whose name was Zach.

"So, Anna," Mitch said, "You're currently on the road headed from Bredon to Willowdale in the southern part of the kingdom of Garthram."

Anna frowned at the unfamiliar names. "I must be pretty far from home. I've never heard of a place called Garthram, before."

The other four stared at her. "You… haven't? That's a little shocking. Where are you from, then?" Mike asked.

"A small village called Greenwood. I don't think there is any land name. At least, if there is, I don't know it," Anna said with a shrug. "People don't travel much there, maybe that's why I've never heard of Garthram."

After exchanging a few glances, Mitch said, "We've never heard of any Greenwood village, either. Although, I can't say we travel very far." He frowned, "How'd you get here? You obviously didn't come from either Bredon or Willowdale."

"It's a bit of a tale," Anna said with a sigh. "The short version is that I was adventuring with my three friends on a mountain and one of them poked a magic bubble and then _poof_ I'm hanging from a tree in the middle of some creepy forest filled with giant animals."

Jennifer gasped, "You made it out of the Helfrond Woods?!"

"I don't know the name of the place, but it had big black trees with yellowy-green leaves that grew so close together you couldn't see the sky," Anna said with a frown. She blinked as the others stared at her aghast, "Same woods, I take it?"

Zach shook his head in amazement, "That's them, all right. They also call it Deathland Forest. People go in and they don't normally come out. It's packed with monsters."

"Legends say there's a creature living in there that's as old as the forest itself called the Mistclaw," Mike said in a fearful tone. "No-one as ever seen it, but they claim it prowls the woods unseen and unheard. Every year you hear about some young fool going in to kill the Mistclaw, or to find the Ancient Way, but they never make it back."

Anna shivered, thinking of the unexplained disappearance of the giant bird corpse. She was inclined to believe the legends. "That's eerie," she admitted, "I must have been lucky. I only saw two monsters, but I killed both of them easily. I hope my friends didn't land in there, too. Although I didn't see or hear them the entire time I was there, so they probably didn't"

"They probably didn't," Zach agreed, "What do you friends look like? Maybe we've seen them along the way."

"A blond-haired swordsman, an orange-haired female mage, and a red-haired magic gunner; have you seen them?" Anna listed. She sighed as they shook their heads, "Oh, well. I'll just have to find them, I guess—it won't be the first time. What's the Ancient Way?"

"Supposedly, there's an old magic trail that runs through the place that can take you to almost anywhere in the kingdom you want to go," Mitch explained with a roll of his eyes. He sighed, "People hear the legends and think it would be a great way to cut down on travel time."

Jennifer piped up again, "One tale says you need the approval of the Mistclaw to get through the forest, and that that's what the trail really is."

"I say that's a fanciful tale indeed," Mike said with a derisive snort. He eyed Anna as well as her weapon, "You're an archer, huh? You must be good to get through the Helfrond Woods alone and unharmed."

"I like to think so," Anna said with a grin, "I've been using a bow my whole life and am the best ranger from my village."

"Lucky for us you've joined our little travel group," Mitch said with a grin. "We won't make it to Willowdale before nightfall and monsters are always nastier at night."

Anna smiled, "I'll take out anything if you'll share some food. I only have some jerky on me."

Mitch laughed, "It's a deal!"

They walked until sunset, chatting and laughing. As soon as the sun was all the way down, they called a halt for the day and set up camp. Mike dropped a few logs from his hand cart into the middle of the road and Anna lit a fire. Zach pulled mismatched plates out of his own cart for dinner. Mitch and Jennifer made sandwiches for everyone. The atmosphere was cheery as they ate.

They were just getting bedrolls laid out when Anna heard a crackling rustle. Immediately, she was on her feet, bow in hand, hushing the group. Everyone froze and watched the ranger with wide eyes. Anna twisted her head, following the crackling noise as it looped closer. A low growling rumbled out of the tall grass and a pair of Horned Wolves sprang out. Without any hesitation, Anna snapped off an arrow. At the same moment, one of the wolves threw its head back to let out a howl that was cut off with a choked gurgle. The creature toppled sideways with an arrow in its neck. The second one snarled and leapt forwards only to yelp and tumble down as another arrow slammed into its shoulder. A third arrow flew into the creature's skull, killing it.

Anna lowered her bow and turned to the other four who were staring at her. "So, does that cover my dinner?" she asked with a grin.

"Definitely," Mitch exclaimed, "I've never seen such fast and precise archery before! You took those Horned Wolves down in seconds! Granted, they weren't full grown, but still!"

Jennifer nodded, "That was amazing. I think I can see why you made it out of the Helfrond Woods."

The ranger grinned, "I'll go move the bodies elsewhere; be right back. If something happens, give me a shout."

Anna then moved to grab one of the horned wolves by a hind paw and began dragging it into the grass. Mike stood to help her with the second one. With that taken care of, they returned to the campsite and settled down to sleep. Anna made sure to keep her bow in hand, but nothing attacked for the rest of the night.

They reached the town of Willowdale in the midmorning the next day. The four were strangely silent as they passed a group of armored guards at the town entrance.

Anna was puzzled, but said nothing until they were well out of earshot, "What was that all about?" The four travelers exchanged glances and lowered their voices.

"The new king's known for ordering troops to round up any able-bodied males. He's young; just took over after his father died a few months ago. The old king was healthy at the time and people claim that his son is paranoid of an assassination plot," Zach whispered.

Mitch glanced at Anna as she looked at her bow, "You should be fine. He only wants male soldiers. Just keep your head low around them and you'll be okay."

Jennifer chimed in, "That isn't all, sometimes the guards demand travelers pay a fee to enter towns and if you don't give it to them, they lock you up."

"We were lucky this time," Mike said, "Usually they stop us and ask for a portion of our goods or supplies right at the entrance. They must be recovering from a late night of drinking."

"Sounds like a rotten king," Anna muttered, "I'll be careful. Thanks for all your help, everyone. Hopefully I'll find the others soon and we can figure out how to get home."

The four travelers waved her thanks off with smiles, wishing her luck in finding her friends and promising to let them know she was searching for them, if they happened to be spotted. They parted ways at the town square with waves and farewells. Anna spent some time buying food for the road and asking around about her friends. No one had seen them so the ranger left the town to keep searching.

 **DDDDDD**

A week passed with no sign of Matt, Lance, or Natalie. Anna refused to give up just yet, though. She had been through a couple of villages, but other than bearing witness to some alarming shakedowns, nothing had happened. The ranger could hardly believe the actions of the royal army. She figured it was only a matter of time until the people became sick enough of the mistreatment and rose up to revolt. Although Anna thought it would be a good thing, she didn't want to be here when it happened or to have any part in it. Already, there were rumors of a small group actively disrupting the king's orders. They would free people who were taken away for ridiculous reasons and ambush battalions on the road.

"Really this whole place is a mess," Anna muttered to herself as she walked. "I wish I could find the others so we can get the heck out of here."

The ranger came to a cross roads marked with three large stones and paused, glancing at the two directions she could go. She could turn right and head north or she could keep heading straight west. After a brief moment of indecision, Anna settled on going straight; there was a large hill in that direction she could use to try and spot anything of interest. She had only been walking for a few miles when she heard yells coming from over a hill. The ranger broke into a sprint, slipping her bow off of her shoulder in preparation for combat. She crested the slope to see a group of three young men surrounded by ten guardsmen.

Anna hesitated for a moment, not wanting to get involved in any way with the political situation. Her opinion changed as she saw a guard feint an attack only to stop halfway through. Laughter came to Anna's ears as the three men flinched. The ranger glared at the mockery and the unfairness of the fight, drew back an arrow, and fired. The arrow struck the furthest guard in the chest and he fell to the ground, dead. Everyone else froze and shouts of surprise rang out. Already, the ranger had sent two more arrows down the hill, taking out two more guards. The three men standing in the middle seized the distraction to begin hacking at their attackers. Between their swordsmanship and Anna's archery, all but one guard were defeated. The last one began running, throwing down his sword. Anna cursed as the arrow she had already sent his way missed and the man sprinted away.

With a sigh, the ranger shouldered her bow and jogged down the hill to the three men she had saved. Slowing to a halt near them, she gave them a brief glance-over for any serious injuries before turning her gaze to the dead guardsmen.

"Great," Anna muttered, "I just know I'll regret this; me and my sense of justice." She turned back to the three men, noting that they were only about her age, maybe even younger, "Are you guys okay?"

"Yes, thanks to you. I thought that was it for us," one said with a heavy sigh of relief.

Anna nodded, "I'm glad I could help. What did they attack you for?"

A second one spoke up in a shaky voice, "We were just hunting some monsters for a bounty, but apparently they thought we'd rather join their army. They didn't like ' _no_ ' as an answer."

"Might want to stay low for a while," Anna suggested, "That one guardsman is sure to report this and I'm only passing through on a search for my friends. I won't be there next time."

The third man spoke up, "Right, same to you. And thanks again, miss." He turned to his companions, "We'd better get out of here."

Anna watched them run the way she had just come from before turning and heading off the trail entirely. She ran through the tall grass, berating herself, " _Why the heck did I get involved in that fight? And since I did, why didn't I take out that last guard? Stupid, stupid, stupid._ " The ranger hoped that maybe she had been too far away to be properly identified.

A week later and Anna's hope for being an anonymous part of the attack were dashed. She came across a sign post with a wanted poster stuck to it. There was no picture, but it said there was a cash reward for the live capture of a young woman with green hair and a bow. Anna cursed and tore down the poster, shredding the thing and letting the scraps drift away on the wind. She stood there, watching the pieces tumble away, thinking rapidly. Being wanted was not conducive to asking around for her friends. On top of that, if the others asked for her they would probably be considered conspirators. The ranger chewed on her lip as she kept walking. She still hadn't seen or heard anything of her friends, and for the first time she considered that a good thing. If they weren't in the kingdom then they couldn't get involved in the mess she had put herself in.

Suddenly a hopeful thought occurred to Anna. There was a very high chance that many citizens wouldn't turn her or her friends in, if the others were even here. The majority of the people she talked to were rebel sympathizers—quietly, of course. The ranger sighed as a far less hopeful thought filled her mind, " _There's no way to know who will or won't turn me in for the gold._ " Most people were poor enough that they would be tempted to do it. After all, she was guaranteed to be a stranger to everyone she met. They would feel next to no guilt turning her over.

Anna resigned herself to staying away from civilization, at least until the king lost interest in finding her. If she stayed out of sight for long enough, then, even if the bounty on her head still stood, maybe the people would forget about it. The posters didn't have her face on them so the only way they'd recognize her would be by her hair color and weapon.

"Both of which I can't do much of anything about," Anna muttered with a frown, "I guess I'll just stay off the roads and out of towns for a few weeks and hope for the best."

 **DDDDDD**

Two and a half weeks passed. Anna spent that time on her own in the wilderness, hunting, searching for any signs that the others had come through, and counting the days. Finally, though, she decided to try her luck entering a town. The ranger picked one that was fairly small, had no guards posted nearby, and waited until sundown to enter. She was wary as she walked down the streets, but no one even glanced twice at her. Anna began to relax and decided she would swing by the food vendors still set up; she was dying for some fresh bread.

Hesitantly, the ranger walked up the stall owner and said a hello. The man running the stall turned around with a smile only to freeze with wide eyes when he saw her face. Anna stiffened as his eyes darted from her hair to the bow hanging on her shoulder. She was half a second from bolting when the man's face split into a disbelieving smile.

"You're alive and free!" the man exclaimed, "Everyone was sure that when no one had seen the mysterious green-haired archer that you had been caught or killed." He frowned slightly as he watched her shuffle uncomfortably, "Don't worry, no one here will turn you in—you're practically a legend now. People have been whispering of your heroic rescue of three men from the king's guard since it happened."

Anna relaxed, "I decided to stay out of sight when I saw the wanted posters."

The man grinned, "Your secret is safe with me. I imagine you're here to buy some food? You're practically devouring my bread with your eyes."

"Yes I am," Anna said with a small laugh, "I'm so sick of meat and wild fruits and nuts; how much for a loaf?"

With a laugh, the man wrapped a loaf of bread in a cloth and handed it over, "Just take it, you're a hero as far as I'm concerned. Few people would have the guts to take on the guards, and then the brains and skills to stay out of sight in the wilderness, alone."

The ranger accepted the loaf with a smile, "Thank you very much." She frowned, "I sort of wish I hadn't gotten involved back then. I'm an outsider with no clue how to get home, and I'm worried my friends will be punished for my actions." She sighed, "Still, what's done is done, and I can't regret saving those men. The king's army is out of control from what I see and hear."

The man watched Anna tear a chunk off the bread to eat with a smile before he sighed, "That hey definitely are. There has been an increase in injuries from shakedowns for money, recently. Money no one has to give; at least around here, anyway." He shook his head, "A lot of people would have died if a kind healer hadn't come through and healed them. Her magic was amazing and she didn't even demand any money for her services."

Anna's head snapped up, "A female healer who uses magic?! What did she look like?"

"Young, orange hair, generous chest, carries a staff, and has a border collie," the man listed, eyeing the ranger. He raised an eyebrow at her stunned expression, "You know her? Tell her the people are very thankful for her help."

Anna nodded absently and thanked the man for the bread and information before telling him good bye. She wandered down the street and out of town, her mind racing. " _It's Natalie, it has to be. Everything fits except the dog,_ " the ranger thought. She ate another chunk of bread, relishing the taste before wrapping it up and stuffing the rest away to eat later. Anna's face set in determination. At least one of her friends was here with her and she was needed to catch up to them. Natalie was likely on her own as well and looking for the others.

"Now how to go about finding her," Anna murmured aloud, "She's traveling around with a dog, healing people, so I guess go around to villages and figure out where she's been and gone." The ranger nodded decisively. She slipped off the trail, but stayed close by it. Just because she had become a local hero was no reason to be stupid. The guards were probably still searching for her and it was far easier to go unnoticed in tall grass then it was on a straight dirt road.

A few days later, and Anna came upon another village. This time before entering, she tucked her bow away. She stepped onto the main street and looked around, wondering who to talk to for information on a traveling healer. Finally, the ranger just stopped a random passerby to ask and was told that the healer had been through a few days ago but left heading south and hadn't been seen since. Anna thanked the man and hurried on through the town.

The ranger stayed on Natalie's trail for days, but everywhere she stopped, the mage had already been and gone. Anna sighed in frustration as she entered yet another village. This would be the fifth one she had visited so far and there seemed to be no pattern to her friend's movements. She asked a man with a wheelbarrow if he had seen the healer recently. The man grunted and kept walking without answering. Anna stuck her tongue out at his back before stopping a second person. The young woman beamed and said the healer had just seen and healed her sprained ankle two days ago. Anna's eyes widened; that was the most recent pass she had heard yet.

"Do you know where she went?" the ranger asked. To her disappointment, the woman shook her head.

"Unfortunately, she left town in a hurry," the woman said, "No one know why or where to, but she looked worried on her way out. You can ask the watch at the entrances to find out which way she went."

Anna's heart skipped a beat, but she thanked the woman calmly. Her brow was furrowed in concern as she headed for the nearest exit, which was on the south side of the village. " _Natalie left in a rush? Why?_ " the ranger wondered, " _I hope she didn't get in trouble for something…_ " She looked up and spotted a man standing loosely at attention. "Excuse me. Can you tell me if the healer went this way two days ago?" she asked.

"She sure did. She was accompanied by her dog and a man who had come to find her. They were in a real rush too," watchman said. He glanced over his shoulder at Anna, "Any particular reason you need-" He broke off and stared at the ranger. His eyes hardened, "You! How dare you show your murdering face here?"

Anna's heart dropped and she bolted out the gate as the man screamed for more guards to come. The ranger risked a glance over her shoulder and saw to her dismay that there were three uniformed guards talking with the watchman who was gesturing wildly at her fleeing form. She swore heavily as she turned back around and pushed herself to go faster.

" _Damn, damn, damn,_ " Anna thought as she raced away. She needed to get far enough away that they couldn't see her when she darted off the path. " _At least they're wearing armor, they won't be able to keep up with me at this speed,_ " she thought hopefully, her breath coming in sharp gasps. A second later and her heart stopped as she heard hoof-beats. She didn't look back, but immediately dove off the trail and bounded through the grass; she'd never be able to outrun horses. The ranger prayed that maybe the horses would trip in a hole or get tangled in the grass, but it was a slim hope. The hooves got closer and closer and Anna's lungs burned. She cursed the fact that her bow was tucked away in her adventure pouch and she didn't have the time to retrieve it.

A horse flashed past her on her left and Anna swerved to the right only to swing back straight with a mental wail as she saw a second horse coming up on that side. She skidded to a halt and the two riders took a few strides to bring their horses to a halt. That time was all it took for Anna to whip out her bow and snap a couple of arrows off at the guards. A searing pain flashed across her head and she dropped to the ground. She had never even seen the third horse still behind her.

The last guard rode past the fallen ranger to check on his comrades. Both were still alive but they had arrows sticking out of their armor. One had been caught on the arm and the other his shoulder. They waved their comrade off to tie up their prisoner and carefully dismounted. As soon as he was sure the girl was properly bound, he came back to help them remove the arrows from their bodies.

"Lucky: they both went clean through," he said with a whistle. He snapped off the head on one and yanked the shaft back out. He tightly bound the wound with a strip of cloth to staunch the blood flow before moving on to do the same for the second wound. Standing back and wiping his hands on a cloth he looked at their prisoner, "She's just a girl. Hard to believe she's evaded capture for so long."

"Or is that good with a bow," another guard grunted, "Help me back on my horse?" He clenched his teeth against the pain in his arm as he was boosted back into the saddle. He waited until the other two were mounted as well with the archer draped over the uninjured guard's saddle before speaking again. "I heard there's a talented healer in the village south of here. Let's head there and get her to fix these wounds up before we go back to the capital with the girl," he suggested.

The other two nodded and wheeled their horses around. With a kick to the flanks of their mounts, they took off down south. Anna remained limp where she was held across the saddle.

 **DDDDDD**

Anna woke with a pounding headache that worsened with each bounce her body felt. She groaned and tried to sit up to see what was going on. There was a harsh prod on her head and she yelped in pain and fell back down. The ranger hissed in pain as she tried to remember how she had gotten wound on the back of her head. Her thoughts felt like mud and the agony throbbing in her skull didn't help. She opened her eyes but quickly shut them again as the moving grass beneath her twisted and seemed unnaturally bright, making her want to hurl. Finally, she recalled her capture and felt tears prickle in her eyes. " _Damnit,"_ she thought hazily in despair, " _At least the others will be safe, for now._ "

After several miserable, pain-filled hours, Anna heard and felt the guards slowing their horses. She was roughly dragged down and thrown to the ground. Her headache, which had finally lessened to a dull throbbing, suddenly felt like it was going to split in agony as her head connected with the ground. The ranger cried out only to hear them laugh at her. A boot slammed into her stomach and her breath rushed out of her lungs. She gasped for air and shuddered in pain as she listened to them talk.

"You two stay here, and watch the prisoner. I'll go get the healer," one man said. There were mutters of agreement followed by footsteps walking away.

"I hope this healer is as good as the peasants say," a man sighed.

There was a grunt, "She'd better be; it's going to be a miserable trip back, otherwise."

Anna's mind was slow to process what she heard through the haze of pain, " _Healer…? Why would they get me a healer?_ " After a few moments her mind finally recalled that she had shot two of the guards with arrows. " _Oh… it's for them…"_ for some reason, the ranger found her error hilarious and she giggled.

"You think this is funny do you?" one of the guards snarled.

"Calm down, she's probably delirious," the second guard said with a sigh.

A rock hit the laughing girl and she stopped laughing to let out a cry of pain. Tears leaked down her cheeks to drip into her hair.

"Serves you right," the first guard muttered, "Ah, he's back and he's found the healer."

"Awfully young, isn't she?" the second guard said skeptically, "And who's the boy with her?"

"Probably her boyfriend," his companion replied, "Who cares as long as she fixes our arms up? Slide the prisoner back and throw a horse blanket over her; we don't want the healer to offer to heal her, too."

The ranger whimpered as she was dragged a short was away and a thick blanket was thrown over her body. Her mind wandered as she listened to the guards talking to a young woman. Only a few snippets of their conversation processed.

"…good… out… fine…" the young woman said in a wary tone.

"…devil… fast… hurt… thanks…" a guard muttered.

"…who… will…?" the woman asked.

"…girl... caught… see?" a guard replied

Silence fell and then Anna winced as light suddenly flooded her vision. Blurry shapes circled over her form along with bright spots of light. She closed her eyes against the confusing and painful array. Suddenly, heat swept over the ranger and screams rang out, piercing the hazy cloud in her mind and sending her headache soaring once more. She heard a frantic voice speaking to her, but could only moan in reply. A hand gently rolled her over and she whimpered at the movement.

A soothing sensation swept over her and when it faded, the pain was gone along with the haze fogging her thoughts. Anna opened her eyes as she felt a blade carefully slide under the ropes tied around her wrists and again at her ankles, releasing her. She rolled over onto her side and was immediately assaulted by a dog's tongue. Pushing the offender away with a laugh, Anna sat up and wiped her face on her shoulder to rub the saliva and tear trails off. Finally, she looked up to thank her rescuers. The words froze in her throat as she gaped at the sight of Matt and Natalie kneeling in front of her. Tears of disbelief and joy filled her eyes and she lunged forward to wrap her arms around the mage's neck.

"Natalie, Matt! I can't believe it!" she cried. "I've been looking for you guys for weeks! I thought I was never going to see you again!" Anna released Natalie and spun to give Matt a hug. She paused as he shifted away in alarm. With a laugh, she said, "I'm not mad at you anymore, you know; not very much, anyway." She frowned when he just gave her a puzzled look and backed away. "You okay, Matt?" she asked in concern.

Natalie coughed, "Err, maybe we should head back inside before exchanging stories?" The mage stood up and held a hand out to help Anna up, "I'm glad to see you again, by the way; I've been trying to track you down for weeks, too. I just happened to find Matt first." She turned and motioned for the other two to follow her.

"I kept just missing you," Anna said with a laugh, "Must've been following you while you followed me. Thanks for the rescue." She sped up to walk beside the mage. "What's up with Matt? He's acting like he's never seen me before," the ranger whispered.

"I'll tell you when we're inside," Natalie's whispered back.

Anna frowned at the sad look that crossed the mages face but nodded her agreement. She turned her attention to the dog following alongside them. "I'd heard that you have a dog now," she mentioned.

Natalie glanced down with a warm smile, "I got her shortly after landing here from the nice old couple who roomed me the first night. Triff, meet Anna; Anna meet Triff."

The ranger grinned as the dog barked, "Nice to meet you, Triff. You're a beautiful dog." Her smile faded as she glanced back at Matt, who had remained strangely silent the entire time. The swordsman's eyes were on her and he seemed puzzled by something. A horrifying thought formed in Anna's mind, but she pushed it away, not wanting to consider the possibility.

Finally, Natalie turned into a yard, knocked on the door of the house, and immediately stepped to one side. The door flew open and two younger boys came running out to tackle Matt to the ground. Anna watched in amused confusion as Matt's face split into a familiar grin. He wrestled the two boys, easily pinning them to the ground until they squealed with laughter before letting them up. The ranger glanced over at Natalie to see she was also smiling, but there was a prominent sadness in her eyes as she looked at the swordsman. Two adults came out of the house and waved with smiles.

Natalie shook herself out of her stare and turned to Anna. "Anna these are the people who took Matt in when he first arrived here," the mage said. She waved a hand to each of them in turn and they nodded or smiled as she named them, "Harold, Mary, John, and Jake. Guys, this is Anna, the friend I told you about."

Anna grinned, "Pleased to meet you!" She eyed the house behind them. "Not to be rude or anything, but can we have this talk outside? I don't think we'll all fit in there," she asked hesitantly. To her relief, Harold simply laughed.

"No offense taken, we're already bursting at the seams with Matt and Natalie," he chuckled. "Let's head around back for a little privacy, though." He turned and led the way. "Grab a patch of soil and get comfy. Mary, could I get you to help me make some food?" he asked.

"Of course, dear. Come along Jake and John," his wife said, following him back around, ushering her children in front of her.

Anna turned to Matt and Natalie, "Does one of you want to go first or should I?"

Natalie glanced at Matt, who shrugged. "You first, Anna, then me, then Matt," the mage decided.

The three settled down and Anna began her tale.

"I'll try to make this the short version," the ranger said, "I woke up stuck up a tree in the middle of forest. I made my way out and met some travelers on a road who told me that I had been in the Helfrond Woods in the kingdom of Garthram and I traveled with them to a place called Willowdale. There, I learned about some of the people's grievances with the king. I didn't stay long because I wanted to find you guys." Anna shifted as she got to the next part, "About a week later, I saved a group of men from some guards and netted myself a bounty."

Natalie hummed, "I heard about that in Willowdale; that's how I knew you were here as well. The people are mostly happy with you for that, by the way." She grinned, "Leave you alone for a few weeks and you become a rebel."

Anna laughed, "I wish I hadn't done it. I mean, it was the right thing to do, but it's been a pain since then. And for the record: I didn't join the rebels." She shook her head with a sigh, "I stayed out in the wilds for a little over two weeks. I worried the entire time that one of you guys would ask about me and get arrested. Anyway, then I went into a small town to scope out what the situation was like and found out that I was now a hero to the common man and that a talented female healer was running around offering free services. That was my first clue that I wasn't the only one here. I spent the next few weeks trying to hunt you down." She gave a bitter laugh, "The fact that people were glad of my actions and that so much time had passed with no incidents made me careless. I thought I was being careful still, but obviously not. I stopped by a larger town to ask after you, Natalie, and I was told you had left in a rush and to ask the watch if they knew which way you went. So, like an idiot, I did."

The mage sucked in a breath, "He turned you in, didn't he?"

"Sort of; I took off running as he called for the guards. I thought I would be able to out run them, but they had horses. They ran me down and knocked me unconscious," Anna explained. She hesitated over the next part, "I'm not entirely clear on how long I was out for, or what exactly happened, but I remember waking up with a splitting headache, being thrown to the ground, and then seeing you guys."

Natalie nodded with a frown. "You had a concussion. They came to the village looking for me to heal some arrow wounds and I couldn't exactly say no to them without endangering Harold's family. Matt didn't want me to go alone so he tagged along. They were telling us about how they caught a fugitive and that's when I became suspicious. When they pulled that horse blanket off you, I torched them then healed you."

The ranger laughed, "Kind of ironic that they brought me straight to my destination. I expected to wake up in prison, if I woke up at all. Now then, your turn."

Anna listened intently as Natalie explained her own awakening under a tree—not hanging in one—in the southern part of the kingdom. She smiled as the mage told her about her first meeting with Triff and her subsequent adoption. She listened as Natalie told her about the chance healing in Willowdale that led to her discovery that Anna was also there somewhere, and her following weeks as a traveling healer. The ranger frowned as Natalie's voice dropped when she told of a former patient needing her help for an emergency case caused by a guard-beating. Her jaw dropped when the mage revealed that Matt had been the one in trouble and how close he had come to dying. Natalie told her that had been yesterday, before trailing into silence.

"I'm glad you're okay, Matt," Anna said with a glance at the swordsman, "Although that explains why you're so thin."

Matt shrugged, "Me, too. Apparently, I was out for a long time, though."

The ranger grinned, turning back to Natalie, "So is that it?" She frowned as Natalie merely glanced at Matt and swallowed.

"Maybe you should tell her, Matt," the mage said quietly.

Anna looked back and forth between them, her frown deepening. "You aren't dying of some horrible disease that Natz can't cure are you, Matt? Because that would suck," the ranger asked worriedly. The silence stretched on and Matt dipped his head to stare at his lap. Anna's jaw dropped, "You are?!"

"No, I'm not dying," Matt finally said with a sigh. He looked up with immense sadness in his eyes, "I woke up not far from here. John and Jake found me and brought me here. Well, sort of; I walked most of the way and passed out right over the finish line." The swordsman smiled towards the back of the house, "They've been great. They let me stay here the entire time while I recovered." His smile faded into a frown, "For six weeks or so I just helped around here, I wanted to go out and wander around, but they insisted I stay."

Anna tilted her head with a confused frown, "You took six weeks to recover? That seems pretty extreme, even without magic."

"Wait a little while, Anna," Natalie murmured.

Matt looked back, "Physically, I was fine two days after I got here until about a week ago after the beating." His voice fell along with his gaze, "The reason they wanted me to stay is that I hit my head pretty badly arriving here. I can't remember much, now."

"What...?" Anna asked, staring at her friend. Matt's head just sank lower. The ranger shifted her stare to Natalie to see tears in the mage's eyes. Her eyes snapped back to Matt, wide with horror. "It isn't that bad, right? You still remember a few things, right?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Natalie turn away and her heart plummeted, "You forgot _everything_?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Matt mumbled, "I'm sorry."

The ranger felt tears prickle in her eyes, as she stared at him. "It isn't your fault, Matt," she murmured, "Have you been able to remember anything?"

Natalie was the one who answered in a quiet voice, "Sometimes familiar things will trigger something for him. He's been remembering several things since I showed up and told him about his adventures, but most of it's a big blank for him."

"I didn't recognize either of you when I saw you," Matt admitted, "You were familiar, but I wouldn't have been able to say what your names were, your personalities, your weapons, and so on." He looked up with a small smile, "It's been coming back slowly since Natalie came, maybe now that you're here, too, I'll remember everything."

Anna's face split into a grin, "You're right. The important thing is that you're alive and already getting better. We'll have your memories back to you in no time!" She laughed suddenly and glanced at Natalie, "You know, I wanted to kick him when I first woke up here six weeks ago. Now it seems like it would be pointless."

Natalie laughed as well, "Yeah, just a little. Save it until he remembers."

"Now I don't think I wanna remember," Matt joked with a pout. He stood up and stretched. "Let's go eat, I'm starving!" he said with a grin. He helped pull Natalie up.

"Hang on a second," Anna said as the swordsman held out a hand. She took it and was pulled to her feet as well. She looked between the two, "Have either of you seen or heard from Lance? I haven't, even once."

Natalie shook her head with a frown, "No, not a word. He has to be around somewhere, though. We all landed pretty close to each other and we didn't know it, actually. I bet he's looking for us now."

Matt frowned, "Natalie was the first person to recognize me. And I haven't heard anything about any grumpy gunners launching missile salvos recently." The swordsman blinked and beamed, "That's another thing I just remembered: Lance uses explosives!" he frowned, "I have the strangest feeling I know that from first-hand experience."

Anna burst out in laughter, "From what you guys have told me in the past: you do."

"And I'm friends with him?" Matt asked, puzzled.

Natalie grinned and tugged him around the house, "I used to wonder about that all the time. He doesn't throw bombs at us anymore. Well, usually, anyway."

Anna grinned at the look on Matt's face as they rounded the house, "I don't think that's very reassuring, Natz."

Matt shook his head with a bemused smile, "I guess it will come to me." He pushed the door open to the mouth-watering smell of fresh stew. "Hey guys, mind if we join you?" the swordsman asked with a grin.

Mary faked a frown, "No, we ate all the food already." Her lips twitched for a few seconds at the look of abject horror on Matt's face and the matching grins on the girls' faces before she burst out laughing.

"I'm joking! Help yourselves," the woman assured with a smile.

With a small cheer, Matt bounded forward and seized a bowl to ladle stew into. Natalie shook her head with a smile and followed him. Anna hovered by the door for a few moments before following suit. She had found two of her three friends. Sure, Matt had some problems, but he was still the same guy and already getting better. Now they just had to find Lance and then, hopefully, figure out some way to get home. The ranger slid to the floor beside Natalie with a bowl of stew. Triff squeezed in between them and settled her head on her paws with her tail thumping on the floor.

" _Yes,_ " Anna thought as she rubbed the dog's head and listened to Jake and John pestering Matt endlessly about all kinds of things, " _Things are looking way up now._ "

Matt spoke up, mumbling around a mouthful of food, "Want to check my Adventure Pouch now?"

"Check it? Why do you need to do that?" Anna asked in confusion.

Natalie swallowed the food in her mouth and replied, "He hasn't been able to find anything in it aside from a note Lance left him. Pass it here, Matt."

The mage caught the cloth sack that was tossed over to her. She reached inside the bag and made a small sound of success. Natalie drew a long, red and gold hammer out with a grunt and set it on the ground. She pulled out various other weaponry and some bits of clothing and armor. The stack continued to grow, large bags of gold and gems and other sundry loots were piled on the floor.

The family's jaws dropped. Matt looked equally stunned, gaping at the small fortune that had suddenly appeared on the ground. Natalie felt around the pouch and shrugged.

"I think that's it," the mage announced and tossed the pouch back up to Matt.

The swordsman caught it with a dazed look on his face. "That's all mine? Why couldn't I get it out before?" he faintly asked.

"Yup, it's all yours. Wait, actually, some of that armor might be Lance's; you guys tend to swap pieces. Anyway, we do a lot of dungeon diving and monster fighting, so, yeah. Lots of loot," Anna said with a grin. She thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip for a moment and suggested, "Maybe you couldn't get the stuff because you didn't know it was there? I think it works by pulling up a mental image of the item you want. If you couldn't remember what the stuff looked like, much less that it was there, well…"

Natalie slowly nodded, "That could be it. Whatever the reason, Matt now has plenty of money to pay back for the mooching." She began to stuff the pile back into Matt's Adventure Pouch.

"It wasn't purposeful mooching," Matt defended himself with a pout.

Harold's finally closed his dropped jaw to mutter, "Holy Gods in the heavens… There's got to be enough gold in there to buy everyone's houses in the village!"

Jake cheered, "Oo, let's do that! We can rename the village Jakestown! I've always wanted to be the ruler of my own kingdom!"

"That's a dumb name. I say call it Johnsville; way better," John argued.

Mary sighed, "We're not going to buy the village and even if we were, we wouldn't give it to you two. Gods know what the state of affairs would be in just a couple of hours." The woman turned to her husband and added, "I don't think we should take too much of it, though. The king's guard will be suspicious if we suddenly have a huge amount of gold that we we're sitting on."

Anna shrugged, "You can only take a little if you want. Honestly, though, I think you should just squirrel a bunch away. The guards won't even know you have it if you don't speak of it to anyone."

Matt coughed to get their attention, "I'm not sure Jake knows how to keep quiet." He grinned at the affronted squeak Jake gave and suffered the sudden weight that knocked him over.

Harold grinned at the pair before turning to Anna, "Frankly, Matt's right. We'll take a little to be sure, but I think you three will need it more for your journey. Matt wasn't much of a burden, anyway."

John looked up with a sad frown, "Wait, is Matt going now?"

Jake stopped wrestling with Matt to stare at him in horror. Tears welled in his eyes, "You can't go! Who'll beat John in our sword fights if you go? Who will tell me about the awesome monsters they fought with while hunting?"

Matt's eyes were sad, but he sat up with a smile. "You'll just have to get good enough to beat John yourself. Use that thing with the sweep I showed you last time. Anyway, my being here was temporary, remember? My friends found me and now I have to go."

Jake sniffled, but nodded his head. John looked upset, but he kept the tears in his eyes from streaming down his face.

Mary nodded, although there were tears in her eyes, "We'll be sad to see you go, but you're right. Besides, you've been itching to travel again. Wait until morning to go, though; it's too late to start traveling now."

Natalie nodded, "Okay, we'll do that; thank you. Anna and I can share the blankets you lent me last night."

Harold nodded with a sad gleam in his own eyes, "We'll miss you, Matt. Thanks for all you help these past several weeks; and if you or your friends are ever nearby and need a place to rest, please come here."

The three nodded.

"We will. Thank you for letting me stay with you guys for so long. Even if I couldn't remember much about myself, it was nice. You're a wonderful family," Matt said with a smile.

Natalie nodded, "Yes, and thank you for taking such good care of him. We're all more grateful than we can say that he had such a level-headed and caring family looking out for him."

Anna grinned, "I haven't known you guys for long, but I definitely want to come back and visit someday. You probably shouldn't tell any guards that you know me, though. I… kind of ticked them off."

Mary smiled, "Will do. We'll be looking forward to seeing you again. Goodnight, you three; we'll see you in the morning."

 **DDDDDD**

Harold, Mary, John, and Jake escorted the three to the village exit early the next morning. Matt was given hugs from Mary, John, and Jake and shook Harold's hand before turning and walking away. Natalie and Anna waved as they walked away before turning to the road ahead.

Matt glanced over to Anna and Natalie with a bright grin, "Where to first?"

Anna grinned back, "Look for Lance, I guess. He has to be somewhere around here, after all."

"It's weird that we haven't heard anything from or about him, though. You'd think rumors would be spreading about a trigger-happy nut with red hair," Natalie mused with a frown.

At that moment, a small red shape swooped down in front of them. A tiny red dragon frantically chirped at them. Matt grabbed for his sword, but Anna pushed his arm back down, eyes fixed on a small metal object tied to the dragon's neck.

"That badge is from Lance's coat; I'm sure of it," the ranger said in amazement. She suddenly frowned with a jealous gleam in her eyes, "Wait, Lance got a pet dragon while we were apart? Natz got a dog, Lance got a dragon, and I got a bounty? That's so not fair."

Matt patted Anna's arm, "At least you didn't get amnesia."

Anna laughed, "Good point."

Natalie shook her head as the dragon began flying in circles around their head before darting a short distance away. "Not funny, you two. Anyway, Lance must be in trouble if he sent a messenger off on a potentially doomed errand. Let's go," the mage said.

The three friends followed behind the dragon as it led them to the northeast.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _Maybe Natz doesn't find that comment funny, but I do. Next up is the Lance chapter! It's my favorite, so far. :3 I mean, obviously he got a tiny dragon (which is my favorite fantasy thing EVER, by the way), but his part is also very funny. Leave me a review and I'll see you next Wednesday!_


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N:_** _Now for Lance. This story has him a lot closer to his actual characterization than '_ An Epic Retelling' _did, though I like his personality better over there. Oh, well, his normal one fits better here. Have fun reading!_

* * *

Lance stormed through the dark woods furiously. He had woken up completely ensnared in a bramble bush with the mandibles of a giant bug of some sort inches away from his torso. Needless to say, both the bug and the bush were still there, only they were much crispier than when he had first awoken.

"The only thing worse than nature is being stuck in nature," gunner snarled under his breath.

He hadn't been able to spot his friends nearby, which was probably a good thing. He had a feeling Matt would be slightly holeyer than before if he were there, and not in the saintly way. A giant moth-like insect swooped down.

Lance hardly looked at it as he shot it with his gunblade, the blast echoing through the trees. "At least these bugs are weak; though a bit of a challenge would be nice," he muttered.

The gunner walked for hours, but saw no changes in the dark trees surrounding him. The only difference was a darkening of the already dark forest signaling that the sun was setting beyond the leaves and a thick mist rising to swirl between the trunks. Lance sighed and slowed to a halt, looking around for any place to sleep that didn't include some kind of plant.

A strange chill crept up the gunner's spine and he spun around to see absolutely nothing behind him. Despite the absence of anything being there, Lance could feel a presence. Something ancient and powerful was watching him. He gripped his gunblade tighter, suddenly highly aware of just how vulnerable he was on his own. Swallowing his unease, he glared into the foggy trees, daring whatever was there to come out. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck as he waited.

All of a sudden, there was a loud bird-cry and his attention was momentarily diverted. When he snapped his mind back to the situation at hand, the oppressive presence had vanished, along with the mist. Lance's shoulder's tensed even further as the significance of that fact settled in. He took one last look around and decided sleeping was probably a bad idea.

Resigned to a night of walking, Lance pulled an energy drink out of his Adventure Pouch and popped the tab. He sipped at it as he walked, welcoming the familiar rush of caffeine in his system. He didn't see the strange mist or any more giant monsters for the rest of the night. By the time the trees had lightened with the sun's rising, Lance was exhausted.

The gunner hiked up a small hill, pausing to lean against a small vine-covered cliff at the top. He let out a surprised gasp as he tumbled into a small cave that had been covered by dangling tendrils. He groaned and sat up from where he had fallen on the floor. Looking around, he realized the cave was little more than a deep depression in the wall. He stood and poked his head out of the curtain of vines before ducking back in.

Deciding it was as good a place to rest as any, and knowing he needed the break, Lance leaned against the back wall and shut his eyes for a quick nap, his hand resting on the hilt of gunblade. As he rested, the strange mist from before seeped in under the tendrils and wrapped thickly around him. When the cloud slipped away, the gunner was gone.

Lance woke lying on his side, blinking at a clear line of rock and sky. Immediately he sprang up and twisted around, gaping in disbelief at the rocky landscape that surrounded him. He had somehow been moved to a high plateau that offered a view for miles.

"I fell asleep in a cave in a forest, how the heck did I get up here?" Lance muttered aloud in shock.

Shaking his head with a swallow, the gunner checked to make sure he had all of his supplies. To his immense relief, he was still holding his gunblade, Super Snipe was still strapped to his back, and his Adventure Pouch was still tied to his belt. Lance relaxed slightly and looked around again. There were several crude torches erected around a stone altar at the center of the summit, suggesting that people came up there for some kind of ritual. Looking over the side, the gunner was surprised to see a natural stone wall curving all the way around the plateau. In the distance, he could see patches of farmland, rolling hills, and a long river snaking its way from north to south. A small village was nestled at the base of the plateau, just outside the stone wall. To the north, there was a long, jagged mountain range.

The gunner walked around the edge of the platform and found a narrow trail twisting clockwise down one side. He made his way down, mindful of loose stones and highly aware of the sheer drop on his left. A strong wind whipped along the cliff face and tugged at Lance as he descended. He passed more torches wedged into cracks along the cliff. Finally, the trail leveled out to head into a narrow cave through the wall. Lance stepped into the cave, gunblade raised in preparation of any trouble, heading for the bright light at the other end. His footsteps echoed in the darkness, but nothing jumped out to attack him.

Lance stepped out of the cave, blinking to adjust to the bright light. He found himself looking at two stunned guards on either side of the opening. The gunner raised an eyebrow at their stunned looks before throwing himself back into the cave with wide eyes as they attempted to take his head off with their swords. He twisted around and sprinted back through the tunnel as they shouted after him. At the far end, Lance spun around and fired a few shots into the darkness. A couple of surprised yelps rang out, but they didn't sound injured and the gunner didn't hang around to see if they still wanted to come after him.

He hugged the inside of the stone wall and ducked behind a large rock, peering around it to watch the entrance. One of the guards poked his head out of the cave and Lance fired a bullet at him. The shot pinged off of the stone inches from the man's face and, with a loud curse, the guard pulled back in. Lance stayed where he was, intently watching the cave entrance, but no one else came through.

After fifteen minutes had passed with no sign of any further attackers, Lance carefully slipped out from around the boulder. He made his way around the entire inside of the wall, searching for a different exit, but he made a complete circuit and the only way out was through the cave. Lance sighed and moved further away, out of sight of the cave entrance.

He settled down on a flat rock to think, " _Only one entrance, huh? I guess I'll have to wait until nightfall and try to slip past them."_ He eyed the smooth stone walls blocking his escape, " _That, or scale the cliff. I don't think that will be possible, though._ " With another sigh, Lance pulled a bag of chips out of his Adventure Pouch and munched on them absently.

The gunner spent the entire day keeping watch for any further attacks from the guards or anyone else, waiting for nightfall. Towards sunset, a large bird with four wings soared overhead. Lance shrank back into the shadow of the cliff wall keeping a close eye on the creature as it flew past, searching for prey. The bird circled the plateau once before wheeling off. Lance relaxed and tilted his head back to rest against the stone behind him.

"Why is everything giant here?" the gunner grumbled, "For that matter, where even is _here_?" He frowned, realizing he hadn't recognized anything since waking up in the woods. With a shake of his head, the gunner stood straight, he could figure that out when he had escaped. The sun had set; it was time to try sneaking out.

Lance silently walked over to the cave, staying near the cliff where the shadows were deepest. He slipped inside the opening, and headed for the far end; taking great care to set his feet down lightly to avoid making any noise. The gunner hadn't gotten very far when he spotted flickering light at the far end. With a silent curse, Lance backtracked as quickly and as silently as he could. He ducked behind a rock back in the box canyon and watched the cave warily, but no one came out.

"Great, they're watching the entrance," Lance muttered. He resigned to try escaping later when they would hopefully be more lax about their guard. That, or wait for them to try storming the canyon. Suddenly, the fact that the cave was the only entrance became a good thing. They'd have to enter through it if they wanted to kill him. The gunner made his way back up the plateau and set up his Super Snipe facing the cave entrance.

Three days passed in total boredom for the gunner. He had already poked around the entire canyon and most of the attached cave to see if there was anything of interest. There hadn't been much, although he had been relieved to find a small trickle of water running in the cave. Every so often, he tried his luck with getting through the tunnel, but it was always being guarded. Lance ate the snacks he had packed sparingly, but he knew that when they ran out, he'd have to force his way out of the canyon.

On the fourth day, a group of heavily armed people entered the valley. "We know you're here, demon!" one man called.

Lance had been waiting for the attack, though, and was already positioned on the plateau. He frowned at their call. " _Demon?_ " he thought, " _Talk about jumpy, superstitious idiots._ " Shrugging, he peered through the scope of his Super Snipe and fired a quick blast of fire at the party's feet. He chuckled as they jumped and ran back into the cave, screaming about demons and damnation. There were no further attacks that day.

The next evening, Lance ate the last bit of food he had on him. He sighed and packed up the gear he had laid out and slipped down from the plateau. Under the cover of darkness, the gunner moved across the short expanse of open ground, headed for the cave. He carried his gunblade at the ready, prepared to force his way out with a show of power. He had just stepped in front of the cave when he spotted a torch headed his way. With a silent curse, Lance ducked back and hid in the nearby shadow of the cliff face to watch.

Soon, a group of hooded figures carrying baskets came through. They walked in a straight line, following the leader who carried a torch. Lance watched curiously as the group made no motion to check the area, heading directly for the winding trail leading to the plateau summit. They reached the first torch and began chanting in some strange language. Lighting the dead torch, they made their way up the trail, lighting the other torches and chanting, until they twisted out of sight around the edge of the cliff face.

Baffled, Lance shook the strange scene from his mind and headed into cave again. Unfortunately, he could spy a person wearing armor standing at the far end holding a torch. With a near silent groan, the gunner stepped back outside again.

"Great, now what? That guard will be there at least until they're back," he grumbled quietly to himself. He absently noted that the worshippers had come back into sight on the cliff and were almost at the summit. Since he couldn't leave until they were done with whatever their ritual was, the gunner decided to see what they were doing and headed up the trail.

The wind had put out a number of the torches on the way up, but it was of little consequence to Lance's hike; the moon was full overhead, providing plenty of light for the climb. Soon, the gunner crouched at the head of the trail, watching the hooded figures. The group had set their baskets down and were kneeling in a circle around the stone altar with their hands raised to the sky, still chanting in the strange language. Their voices rose to a crescendo before halting entirely. One man rose to his feet, arms still held high and spoke.

"We gather here to give praise for the reappearance of the mighty lord of Swynhill," he called loudly. He paused as the other's added their own voices to the tribute waiting until the sound had died out before continuing, "Oh, great Sath, lord of smoke and fire and chaos, please accept this humble offering from your mortal servants! Forgive the unwashed men who would slay you as a common demon! We know you are great and offer ourselves as your faithful subjects!" The speaker knelt down again and they all began chanting.

An evil smirk spread across Lance's face as he had a horrible idea. "Good thing Natalie and Anna aren't here for this," he murmured, "I just know they would find it questionable." He reached into his adventure pouch and pulled a few smoke bombs out along with a flare. The gunner pulled the pin on a smoke bomb and rolled it gently towards the worshippers. Soon, the bomb detonated, filling the area with a cloud of white smoke. As the worshippers cried out in shock, Lance stepped forward and lit the flare, dropping it behind him. Instantly, a red light lit the smoke and made him a silhouette to the worshippers. The gunner let out a low laugh and spoke in a raspy tone as the men threw themselves into bows.

"Your lord is pleased with your offering, mortals. However, I do not see why I should spare you or your village. The blasphemy of attacking one such as I is nigh unforgivable," Lance said.

The men stayed bowing, but the leader spoke in a trembling voice, "Please, my Lord! They did not know any better! They saw your eyes and believed you to be a man possessed!"

Lance replied in a scathing tone, "I would have hoped that in the time since my last appearance you would have reminded your people of my form. To have them fear my crimson gaze and denounce me as some lesser demon—I fail to see any reason why I should not rain fire on your homes." He eyed the smoke as it began to dissipate and popped the pin on another bomb and dropped it.

"We will speak to them! Please, Lord Sath, please!" the man cried, "It may take time, but we will make them see!"

The gunner remained silent, letting them stew for a moment as he thought rapidly. Finally he released another laugh, "Very well, your offering appeases me enough to offer a chance to curb the actions of the unlearned. I grant you a month to show the worms the errors of their behavior. In that time, I demand weekly offerings." He lowered his voice further, "If you fail to correct their faults then there shall be a burning such as your village has never seen. Now be gone from my sight!"

With that, he stood aside and dropped the third smoke bomb. The worshippers stood and bowed their acquiescence before hurrying through the smoke and down the path.

Lance waited until he saw they had entered the tunnel before falling onto his back on the plateau and bursting into laughter. "Beautiful, I've never had worshippers before," he chortled, "And I got them to bring me food while I'm stuck here! Awesome." The gunner rolled over and pushed himself up. He walked over to the altar and poked through the baskets to find that they had indeed been stuffed with food.

Grinning, he snagged an apple and began to munch on it, still mentally patting himself on the back. " _I was thinking I'd have to fight my way out, but if I can get them to convince the townspeople down there that I'm the return of some kind of damnation-bringing god, maybe they'll let me through,_ " he mused. He didn't particularly relish staying in this canyon for a month, but it beat trying to fight through an entire village by himself. Besides, it was always possible that the others three would come in hopes of beating another god.

 **DDDDDD**

The next day, Lance was bored out of his mind. He sat on the summit organizing the food he had gotten by what would spoil the fastest and what could be stored for a long time. At one point he thought he had seen some small movement in the rocks on the plateau, but when he turned to look, nothing had been there. The gunner had shrugged the movement off as a cloud of dust and leaned back on his hands to look at the clouds drifting past.

A small scraping noise came to Lance's ears and he whipped around with a glare, gunblade in hand, to see what it was. He lowered the weapon with a surprised huff as he spotted a small creature creeping towards the baskets of food—it looked like a tiny red dragon about as long as his arm from nose to tail-tip. Standing up, the gunner moved forward to inspect the thing, only to frown as it startled and spread its wings, taking off.

"Weird," Lance muttered watching, somewhat enviously, as the creature soared over the wall and dipped out of sight. Shrugging the small animal off, the gunner decided to pack the food in his Adventure Pouch. He didn't want larger monsters being attracted to it.

Two days later, Lance saw the tiny dragon again. He had just finished running up and down the trail and had settled down to eat. The dragon poked its head up over a rock and eyed the bread in the gunner's hand. Lance glanced at the small creature and tore a chunk of bread off to toss its way to see what the dragon would do. The creature shot up with surprising speed and caught the piece, landing on the rock it had been hiding behind to gulp the food down. It finished the piece quickly and turned a hopeful look on the gunner only to be ignored. The dragon let out a trilling chirp.

"I'm not feeding you anymore," Lance said, "You can fly; go find your own food."

The dragon seemed to disagree with him, choosing instead to crawl a little closer with another chirping noise. When the gunner proceeded to ignore the creature, it began chirping constantly. Lance's eye twitched at the noise and finally he snarled and threw another chunk of bread at the dragon. With a happy trill, the creature caught the food and gobbled it down. It spread its wings and took off as soon as it was done.

"Stupid dragon," Lance grumbled.

Two hours later the dragon was back with something shiny grasped in its tiny front claws. It landed next to the dozing gunner and chirped. Lance cracked one eye open to glare at the dragon and rolled over onto his side. The dragon shuffled closer, chirping insistently. Shooting to his feet with a growl, Lance whirled on the dragon and leapt for it. The creature squeaked and shot into the air, dodging the tackle and hovered overhead as the gunner crashed into the ground where it had been. With a trill, the dragon landed on Lance's back and set a gold coin down on his head before taking off again.

With a groan, Lance reached up and snagged the small object. He stared at it as he sat up before looking around for the small dragon. Pocketing the coin with a shrug, Lance settled back down to his nap.

The monks came back two days later and left offerings of food for their god. Lance chose not to 'appear' before them, instead staying out of sight in the shadows at the base of the plateau. As soon as the people filed out of the canyon, the gunner hiked up the trail to find the little dragon was back, nibbling on a peach.

"Hey! Those are _my_ offerings! Get your own cult!" Lance yelled, storming forward. The dragon simply looked up from the food and chirped a greeting. When the gunner swatted at the thing, it belched a small stream of fire at him.

"Holy-!" Lance shouted in surprise, leaping backwards. He glared at the dragon, "Fine, take the stupid peach." The dragon nodded with a chirp and continued eating. "Cheeky bastard," Lance muttered.

He awkwardly uncapped his canteen with one hand, and poured a little water on the burn across his fingers sighing at the temporary relief. Lance sat down and dug through his Adventure Pouch for something to wrap his hand with. At that moment, the dragon dropped the pit of the peach it had eaten and soared off. Lance paused in his search to glare after the small creature.

An hour later, the gunner had packed away the food, one hand stinging and wrapped in a strip of bandage he found in his bag. He stiffened at a now-familiar chirp that came from behind him.

"You have three seconds to take off again or I'm blasting you," Lance snapped, glaring over his shoulder.

The dragon chirped and took to the air. Lance grunted and turned around to find the creature hovering in his face with a small jar filled with some kind of green paste in its claws. It offered the container to the bemused gunner who accepted it with a suspicious glare at the dragon. Unscrewing the shiny metal lid from the jar, Lance sniffed at the paste inside and his jaw dropped as he recognized the scent as Aloe Vera. He stared at the jar and then over at the dragon now perched on the altar.

"Thanks, I guess," Lance murmured. He unwound the cloth on his hand and smeared some of the paste on his burn.

The medicine felt blissfully cool on the injury and he sighed in relief. Tucking the jar into his Adventure Pouch, Lance turned to the dragon. He watched it for a few moments and the creature stared back. Finally Lance dug into his Pouch again, withdrew another peach, and held it out to the dragon. "Truce?" he offered.

The small dragon looked at him with its head tilted to one side as if to say ' _about time_ ' before nodding with a chirp. Lance moved to sit next to the creature on the altar and set the fruit down for it. "I guess if I'm going to be stuck here for another three weeks with only you for company, then I might as well get along," he mumbled.

The dragon snorted out a puff of smoke and finished off the peach. Lance closely looked the small creature over for the first time. The sun glinted off of the dragon's ruby-red scales and there was a small darker red ridge running from the creature's head all the way down to taper off at the tail tip. The dragon's wings were currently folded against its back, but Lance knew they were red, bat-like, and about twice as long as its body. Small white horns poked out of the back of the dragon's head matching the tiny white claws on each of its feet. There were spikey ridges over its eyes and its irises had a red ring on the edges that faded to orange at its slit-pupil. Lance had to admit that the creature looked pretty cool and it was definitely intelligent.

"You need a name," he said suddenly. The dragon cocked its head again and blinked revealing a second set of eyelids that closed vertically behind the first set. "I somehow doubt you want me to call you pest all the time," Lance explained earning a small sort of fire from the creature. "Thought so," he muttered. The gunner chewed on his lip thoughtfully for a while. "How about Sath?" he finally suggested, "That's the name of the demon-god of fire I'm impersonating." The tiny dragon's lips pulled back in a grin, revealing sharp fangs. Lance grinned back, "Sath it is, then. My actual name is Lance."

Sath chirped and laid down on the altar, side pressed against the gunner's leg. Lance reached down and ran a finger along the dragon's back. The scales were dry to the touch and radiated warmth. " _Well,_ " Lance mused, " _if I'm going to have a creature pestering me, then at least it's a dragon._ "

 **DDDDDD**

Lance spent the rest of the three weeks blasting monsters that passed over head out of the sky with fire and talking with Sath. The dragon definitely understood Lance, but unfortunately it wasn't the same case in reverse. Generally, the gunner could figure out what the dragon wanted by his body language, though. Every day, Lance shared some food with the dragon and got some kind of shiny trinket, usually gold, in return; he wondered where the treasures came from, but of course had no way of knowing. He had become rather attached to the small dragon and he hoped Sath would go with him when he finally left.

The gunner had 'appeared' before the cultists once more to assess their progress with the villagers as well as to reinforce the idea that their god was still there and waiting. At that point, the men had only managed to persuade about half of the village. Tonight was the deadline for their orders from him and Lance hoped they had convinced the rest of the villagers not to attack the next time he left the cave. He'd rather not have to actually torch the village. He'd do it, if he had to, but he didn't like the idea of burning houses down when they wouldn't be able to defend themselves. Plus, he knew Natalie and Anna would have his head when they found out; maybe even Matt would, too.

The sun was setting when Sath came streaking down to land on the altar where Lance was waiting, chirping frantically. "What's wrong?" Lance asked in confusion.

He eyed the dragon as he took off again and wheeled around in the sky before diving down to hover by the cave entrance. The gunner jogged to the edge of the plateau and peered down, but didn't see anything that would be worth getting upset over. Sath soared back up, still urgently squeaking and chirping. Lance frowned in frustration, "I wish I could understand you."

The small dragon landed and began scratching on the ground. Lance watched in fascination as the creature drew crude figures with equally crude swords on the stone. He frowned as he finally figured out what Sath was trying to tell him.

"They're coming to kill me, huh?" he said with a sigh. The dragon bobbed his head rapidly and chirped. Lance headed down the slope with Sath gliding alongside him. "Well, I guess I could try busting out now, but they'll probably be right on the other side," the gunner muttered, "I'll have to set up a defense, I guess. Good thing we have a lot of food saved up, huh?"

Lance reached the entrance of the cave and stood before it, chewing on his lip. If it weren't the only way in and out, he could just collapse the thing, but because it was, that wasn't an option. As he stood there pondering, he heard a massive explosion come from the other end and felt a shockwave travel through the ground. The gunner staggered and gaped down the tunnel as he heard a cracking-rumbling echo followed closely by a cloud of dust.

"They didn't…" he murmured in horror. Sath gave a confused chirp. Lance swallowed, "I think they collapsed the tunnel. Wait here, I'm going to go check." The dragon obediently settled to sit on the ground, watching as the gunner cautiously stepped into the cave.

Lance's heart pounded with every step and he was constantly alert for any sounds that could signal a cave-in. He froze when he reached the point where he should have been able to see the exit and only saw blackness. Swallowing heavily, the gunner turned back around. Sath was waiting still for him outside and let out a happy chirp when he emerged. Lance flopped onto a nearby rock and buried his face into his hands. With a soft, concerned trill, the dragon flew over to press against Lance's side. The gunner lowered his hands and ran one over the dragon's ridge.

"They blocked off the only way out," Lance murmured flatly, "I'm stuck here." Sath squeaked and rubbed his head against the gunner's thigh. "At least you'll be okay," Lance said with a weak smile, "You can fly out whenever you need or want to."

The gunner froze, his hand stilling in the middle of a petting motion. "That's it!" he exclaimed. Sath craned his head up and chirped a question. "I can't believe I didn't think of this before," Lance muttered. He frowned, "It's a very long shot, though."

He jumped as he felt a nip on his hand and looked down at Sath. "Sorry, here's the plan," the gunner said, "If I described my friends to you, do you think you could fly around and try to find them? It might just be one wild goose chase; I don't even know if they wound up near here or not." To his immense relief the dragon nodded, "Great, I'll give you a something to tell them you came from me." After a brief moment of deliberation, he pulled the metal cross off of the front of his coat and attached it to a strip of cloth that he then tied around Sath's neck.

"There are three of them," Lance explained as he worked, "They might be all together, they might not, but even one of them will do. One has long blond hair and uses a big sword with a golden and red hilt, he's a guy named Matt. Next, there's a female mage named Natalie. She has long orange hair and carries a red staff with a blue crystal on top. Finally, there's a female archer with long green hair. Her name's Anna; she uses a wooden bow with red and white feather's attached to it. Any one of them should recognize that badge. When you find them, get as close as you can without them spotting you until they can clearly see the badge. Do you understand?"

He smiled as the small dragon nodded. He dug an apple out of his Adventure Pouch "Okay, you'd better eat before you go." He watched as the dragon gobbled the apple down—core, stem and all. "I have enough food to last for a couple of weeks," he said, "Good luck and thank you."

Sath spread his wings and rose to hover by the gunner's face. With one last quick nuzzle, the dragon chirped before darting away into the night sky. Lance watched his newest friend fly away and hoped beyond hope that it wouldn't be the last time he saw him.

 **DDDDDD**

A week and a half had passed with no sign of Sath. Lance carefully rationed his food during that time and figured he had about three or four days left in store. He spent his time mostly in the cave to stay near the water source; thankful that the cave-in hadn't covered it up. Alone with nothing but his thoughts to distract him, Lance wondered if the others were even nearby at all; wondered if Sath was okay, or if he had been caught by some monster. He hoped that the little dragon had found at least one of his other friends, that they didn't kill him, and were already on their way to rescue the gunner. Sath was a fast flyer, but Lance didn't have much of clue on how much stamina the little dragon had.

Six days later and Lance lost hope. He had eaten the last bit of stale bread three days before and his stomach ached with hunger and the muscles in his arms and legs trembled. There still hadn't been any sign of Sath or his friends and he dismally figured that that meant they weren't coming. He supposed starving to death was a just punishment for impersonating a god and threatening to burn the village down if they didn't let him leave.

Bitter tears prickled in Lance's eyes, " _Figures that after all the crazy fights and adventures we got into I won't die in combat, but of starvation, alone, in a cave._ " He sighed and glanced out at the red light reflecting off of the stone from the setting sun. "Good bye, guys," he murmured, "It's been fun."

The gunner had just hunched into himself when he heard a frantic chirp come from outside the cave. His head snapped up and around, thinking he had been hearing things. Lance stayed frozen for a few seconds until a second, louder chirp called out. Scrambling up, the gunner ran out of the cave and nearly crashed into Sath. The small dragon was carrying a roll of paper in its claws. Lance took the paper with a hand that shook from both hunger and disbelief and unrolled it. As soon as the letter was in the gunner's hands, Sath landed on his shoulder and wrapped his tail loosely around his friend's neck, trilling happily.

"' _Lance,'_ " the gunner read aloud, "' _We followed your pet dragon (which Anna is very jealous of, by the way) and we're assuming you're stuck in this weird canyon. The villagers outside seem to think you're some kind of demon-god and won't let us unblock the cave to rescue you. Short of killing all of them, I don't think we can get in that way. Luckily, your dragon led us to a ledge along the back of the wall and we've thrown a rope over from there. Here's hoping you aren't dead. –Anna, Matt, Natalie.'"_

Releasing a shuddering breath, Lance reached up a hand to scratch Sath's neck earning him a delighted rumble. "You did it. Thank you," Lance murmured. He headed for the back of the canyon using the stone wall for support when his trembling legs occasionally faltered. Each time he stumbled, Sath dug his claws into the gunner's shoulder for stability, pricking the skin. " _I'll need to get a shoulder plate or something if this is going to be a common thing,_ " Lance thought, but he didn't have the heart to tell Sath to let go just yet. The small dragon had definitely saved his life and a few small nicks on his shoulder-turned-perch were a small price to pay.

They finally reached the back of the wall and spotted a rope dangling down to brush the ground. Lance stuffed his gunblade and his rifle into his Adventure Pouch before he grabbed the rope and tied it firmly around his waist before giving two tugs. Instantly, the rope began to pull up and he walked up the cliff side with one hand gripping the line. Sath finally leapt off of the gunner's shoulder to fly next to him as he slowly made his way up the cliff.

It was a long climb and Lance slipped twice, slamming into the cliff side with a low groan before regaining his feet and continuing; Sath giving encouraging chirps each time it happened. He finally reached the lip of the wall and hauled himself up onto it. The rope fell slack as he lay there panting for a few moments. Lance heard a very welcome and familiar voice call up to him.

"Lance? Are you okay?" Natalie asked.

The gunner chuckled and pushed himself to sit up. He peered over side the narrow ledge to see his three friends standing barely six feet below him. Matt still loosely held the other end of the rope in his hand. "Now that you've fished me out of that canyon, I am," Lance said with a relieved grin. He slid his legs over the edge and dropped down stumbling slightly until Anna steadied him. Sath swooped down to land on his shoulder again.

Anna grinned at the small dragon as she stepped forward to untie the rope knotted around Lance's waist. "He's very smart," she commented, "He knew exactly what direction to take to get here from the village we were at, and when the idiots on the other side of this canyon wouldn't let us in, he guided us here."

Lance reached up and rubbed Sath's chin fondly, "I had just begun to think he couldn't find you guys, or that he had died when he came swooping in." The dragon gave an indignant trill and dug his claws into Lance's shoulder. "Ow! Okay, I'm sorry for doubting you," the gunner said with a wince.

Natalie laughed, "I want to know how you found him, but for now you look about to fall over."

As if her words had been a reminder, the hunger Lance felt came back twice as strong and he swayed lightheadedly before Anna reached out to steady him again. "Whoa, what's wrong?" the ranger asked as she carefully lowered him to sit down.

"Hunger," Lance mumbled, "I've been rationing the food I had for about two weeks now."

Natalie gave a low whistle, and admitted, "I wouldn't be able to manage that. I have some jerky on me for you to munch on while we get some actual food ready." She smiled as Lance nodded fervently and accepted the dried meat before standing up. "Anna, come with me; let's see if we can bag one of those wild pigs we saw earlier. Plus, I want to check on Triff," the mage said and led the way down the steep slope.

Lance ripped a piece of jerky off and handed it to Sath before stuffing the rest in his mouth. As he chewed, he regarded the silent swordsman standing nearby. It was weird to have Matt be quiet for very long except during rare instances of being angry.

"You okay, man?" Lance finally asked. He frowned as Matt simply nodded, "Are you sure? It isn't like you to be quiet for so long." The swordsman twitched slightly, but didn't say anything. The gunner glanced up at Sath in confusion, but the dragon merely blinked back.

Before Lance could prod further for an answer to his friend's weird behavior, Natalie returned and motioned for them to follow. She explained as they slid down that it was easier to go to the fire than it was to haul bunch of wood up for them to cook with. The gunner temporarily forgot about Matt's silence as the smell of cooking meat came to his nose. He followed Natalie around a large rock to see Anna keeping an eye on a roasting pig with a black and white dog chewing on some raw meat next to her. Lance eyed the dog with a puzzled frown before shrugging and flopping down to sit across from the two. Sath flitted down to sit next to him.

There was silence around the camp fire as they waited for the meat to cook. Normally, a little quiet wouldn't bug Lance, but he had spent the last few weeks in mostly silence, and before that the only interactions he had had with another human being were when he had posed as the demon-god, Sath; he craving some conversation. "So, did you guys all end up near each other?" Lance finally asked.

Anna glanced over from where she stood turning the meat on a make-shift spit. "No, we all ended up relatively close, but we didn't find anyone else until after six weeks or so. I had only just met up with Natz and Matt a couple of days before your dragon found us, in fact," the ranger said.

Natalie nodded, "You were the furthest from the rest of us, by far."

"Huh," Lance grunted. He frowned in thought, "I actually started out in a forest, though. Maybe that was closer to you guys?"

"A forest? Did the trees have black trunks?" Anna asked sharply. She gaped when Lance nodded, "Damn, I must've just missed you, then! I woke up in a tree there."

"I woke up in a bramble bush with a bug about to eat me," Lance grumbled. He glared over at Matt, "That reminds me." The gunner grabbed a nearby stick and threw it at the swordsman.

Matt yelped as the branch hit him on the arm. He glared over at Lance, rubbing the new bruise, "What was _that_ for?"

"It was for not _listening_ when we said don't poke magical objects with your sword! I thought you would have learned your lesson with Akron," Lance said flatly. He frowned when Matt gained a puzzled look, "And don't try to claim you forgot, because I know you didn't." His frown deepened, but lost the angry edge when the swordsman stiffened and looked away.

"Actually, Lance…" Natalie mumbled trailing off. The mage avoided the sharp look the gunner gave her.

Anna sighed as she determined the meat coked and sliced off a chunk to hand to Lance on a sharpened stick. "Matt's had… a bit of an accident," she murmured, continuing to hand out portions. She set a chunk down for Sath and smiled weakly as the dragon trilled happily before he began tearing off chunks to swallow.

Lance paused in his ravenous devouring of the first hot food he'd had in months to stare at the ranger, then at the mage, and finally at the swordsman. He stuffed the last little bit in his mouth and swallowed. He eyed Matt, "So, you got amnesia, huh? I guess that explains the weird behavior. Finally hit your head on something harder than it, I guess."

Anna and Natalie stared at the gunner in surprise.

Lance scoffed, "Don't give me the stunned looks. You guys are about as subtle as my tank." He turned back to Matt, "Sorry for hitting you, then. Hardly fair if you get punished for something you don't recall. When did it happen?"

Matt blinked at how calmly Lance took the information, but didn't seem overly-surprised. "When I first got here, I think. I've remembered a lot since then, though. Natalie and Anna have been helping fill in the blanks," he said with a shrug, "They told me about our adventures, but it seems more like a fairy-tale than something I actually had a part in."

"It won't be much longer before you've gotten it all back," Lance assured him gruffly, "If it doesn't happen soon, then maybe you'll just need another whack on the head." He smirked as Matt laughed while Natalie and Anna spluttered and glared at him.

"Lance! How can you be so callous?" Natalie snapped.

"Yeah," Anna said, "I'm stunned that you can say he just needs another slam to the head."

"And I'm stunned that you two are stunned," Lance snorted, "I'm not going to start coddling him; how would that help his memory?" He waved over at where Matt was grinning and laughing, "Clearly, he's the same guy as before just slightly dumber, and he still doesn't seem to mind my attitude."

Matt quirked an eyebrow as he chuckled, "I guess I should be insulted by that, but somehow I think you're right."

"See? All good—pass me another chunk of meat," Lance said.

Anna muttered about insensitive jerks under her breath, but passed another skewer of pork over. "So you said you woke up in the woods, but the villagers seemed to think you just appeared in there," Anna mentioned with a jerk of her head at the stone wall behind her, "Why'd you go in there in the first place?"

Lance scarfed down his food before answering, "I went to sleep in a cave in the woods and woke on top of a plateau in there. Don't ask me how it happened, because I have no clue."

"You just… showed up there?" Natalie said with a frown.

"Yeah, and when I tried to leave, some guards attacked me. Apparently having red eyes means I'm possessed by a demon," Lance with a scowl.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Anna muttered. A second later and she tumbled backwards with a yelp as a small stream of fire shot passed her face. "Lance, control your dragon," the ranger snapped.

"He isn't mine," Lance informed her calmly, "You must have said something to upset him. Maybe you should control your tongue." He grinned down at Sath who gave him a fanged smile in return.

Natalie blinked in surprise, "Wait, he isn't yours? How'd you get him to come find us then?"

The gunner shrugged, "We got to be friends while I was stuck in the canyon. I fed him, he brought me shiny things." He glanced down at the dragon as the creature trilled happily.

"So is he staying here, then?" Matt asked.

"If he wants to," Lance said, "I'd like for him to come along, but it's up to him." The small dragon sprang back up onto his shoulder and curled around his neck chirping. The gunner grinned, "Looks like he wants to stay."

"Welcome to the team… err, what's his name?" Natalie asked with a sheepish grin.

"I've been calling him Sath. He seems to like it," Lance answered.

Matt grinned, "Welcome to the team, Sath!" The little dragon chirped happily.

Anna tilted her head, "How'd you come up with that name?"

"Oh, it's the name of the demon-god thing I was impersonating," Lance said nonchalantly.

"You impersonated a god?" Natalie asked flatly, "You know, it will be just our luck if that god decides to come and try to smite us for that."

"Hey, I needed food! It isn't my fault that they have no clue what their god actually looks like," the gunner defended.

Anna's eyebrows shot up, "We heard that the demon of Swynhill was going to torch the village if they didn't stop trying to kill it. What part of that has anything to do with food?"

"They were holding me in a canyon with no plants or animals in it," Lance explained slowly as if talking to a child. "I needed food and since they weren't letting me out, terrifying them into giving me offerings seemed like the best solution. I didn't actually plan to burn their houses down. Mostly," he muttered the last part. He had decided that, if the villagers were still guarding the entrance, setting a few houses on fire would have been an ideal distraction; not that the others needed to know that. He shook his head and added, "It wasn't like I started demanding live sacrifices."

Natalie sighed, "Whatever. Next time try talking it out."

Lance rolled his eyes, "I would have if they hadn't tried killing me as soon as I poked my head out."

"Anyway, how long were you in there for?" Matt asked.

"Er, about as long as I've been here, I guess. I was in the woods for a couple days, but the rest of that time was spent in the canyon." Lance replied. He glanced over at Anna, "You said you were in that forest too, right?"

The ranger gave a small shiver, "Yeah, I woke up there. I didn't stay very long, though, and I don't want to go back. The merchants I traveled with told me it's called the Helfrond Woods, and they had some rather terrifying legends about the place." Her voice fell, "Normally, I don't put a lot of stock in rumors, but I think they were right about some of the stuff."

"Like what?" Natalie asked, "You never actually told us much about the forest."

"Did you see any strange fog while you were there?" Lance added.

Anna gave him a strange look, "Not that I can remember." She frowned, "Wait; there was some mist when I killed a giant bird, but it looked normal to me. It even dissipated by the time I woke up. Why?"

"Around night fall, I was looking for a place to sleep for the night," Lance answered, "There was a fog that rose up, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. I… felt something there. Whatever it was, it was old and powerful." He shook his head slowly, "I got distracted for a second or two when I heard a loud bird-call. When I looked back down, the presence was gone and so was the fog—completely—and I never saw or heard anything. It wasn't natural so I decided not to sleep and kept walking for the rest of the night. I took a quick break in a cave and when I woke up I was on the plateau."

Anna stared at him wide-eyed, "I killed a giant bird before I fell asleep and it fell to the ground. In the morning the corpse was gone and there were no tracks. I never saw or heard anything either." She shuddered, "The people I traveled with said that there's a legend some kind of ancient monster in the woods, but no one had ever seen or heard it; they called it the Mistclaw. Lots of people go into the woods and, apparently, most don't come back. I wonder if that fog _was_ the monster."

Natalie made a small noise of distress, "Can we not talk about this before bed? I want to be able to sleep."

Lance grinned, "Sure, we wouldn't want you to be grouchy in the morning. So I've told you my story of landing here. What're you guys' sides?"

Matt shrugged, "Nothing much more to tell from me. I stayed with a family for the time I've been here. Natalie found me about two weeks ago, we found Anna with some guards shortly after that. Sath showed up outside the village as we were leaving to search for you and we rushed here."

"What was Anna doing with guards?" Lance asked in confusion. He grinned, "Can't fight on your own, huh? Had to hire some bodyguards?"

"Hardly," Natalie snorted as Anna puffed up indignantly, "She was their prisoner. She got in trouble for killing a group of the king's guards. They stopped by the village Matt and I were at needing some healing for a couple arrow wounds she'd given them during the capture." The mage grinned, "It was a lucky break for us. They needed healing and I had made a bit of a name for myself and was nearby when they caught Anna."

"Wait, there's a king now?" Lance asked, baffled, "Where the heck did we end up?"

"The land is called Garthram," Anna told him, "And the king is an asshole."

"You killed his men because he was an asshole?" Lance asked skeptically, "That sounds like something I would do, not you."

"I didn't kill them because they work for a jerk," Anna snapped, "There were ten of them attacking a group of three guys who were out hunting monsters. I couldn't just walk away."

"Technically, you could have," Lance said with a shrug. "Why were they attacking the three hunters?"

Natalie was the one who replied, "The king has been gathering up able-bodied men for his army. You don't get a choice in the matter, either. It's join up, or be locked up." She frowned, "He's also been demanding more and more money from people and if they don't pay the guards have free leave to use force. Matt got seriously beat up defending the people he was staying with; bad enough that they sent someone out to find me to heal him."

Lance frowned, "Sounds like this king is preparing to go to war with someone. Bad time to upset the people."

"There's actually a rebel group already working against the king," Anna informed. She frowned, "The people think I'm part of it after I took out those guards. I still have a bounty on my head for that, too."

"So Anna's a rebel, Matt's an amnesiac, and I'm a god," Lance summed up with a smirk, "Natalie, I think you're slacking; you haven't picked up any new roles."

The mage gave him an unamused look, "We aren't here for new jobs, Lance. Triff, give him a lick for me."

The black and white dog sprang up and bounced over to the gunner, but shrank back against Natalie as Sath raised his head and hissed. Lance grinned, "Looks like dragon beats dog; better luck next time, Natz. Good work, Sath." The dragon trilled and curled around his neck again.

"Why are we friends again?" Natalie grumbled. Triff's ears lowered in dejection. "Not you, girl," the mage assured the dog, rubbing her ears. She eyed the content dragon and gunner, "I guess I can't complain about your new friend if I have one, too."

"I won't complain if you don't and that dog doesn't try to lick me again," Lance agreed.

"So, now what?" Anna asked, "I haven't been able to find any leads home and neither has Natalie."

"And I doubt we can cross any borders as long as Anna's wanted," Lance mused, "The only way to fix that would be to smuggle ourselves out or turn her in."

"Not happening," Matt instantly rejected, "I refuse to turn Anna over to the king."

"I know," Lance sighed, "I guess we head for the nearest border and see what the situation is like. Anyone have a map?" He frowned as they each shook their heads, "How have you guys been getting around? Talk about poor planning." He suddenly smirked, "Let's go demand one from my worshippers. We can send you three in as my chosen acolytes."

"So you can order us around?" Natalie asked in a flat voice, "I don't think so."

"Fine," the gunner sighed. "Then let's head to a different village and see if anyone is willing to sell us one." He yawned and added, "Tomorrow." Sath stood and stretched on Lance's shoulder, digging his tiny claws into the human's arm, before flitting down to sit on the ground by the fire. With a wince the gunner muttered, "And get me a shoulder pad of some sort."

The four friends laid out various blankets and bedrolls around the fire. Triff curled up against Natalie's back. Sath waited until Lance had lain down then crawled onto the gunner's chest, curling into a small ball with a contented warble. Soon, the group was asleep.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _Every time I see little dragons in any series I go: 'Waaannnnttt~' Why are they not a thing in real life? :| Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Lance's stint as a cult idol I thought of it in passing and decided that it had to be so. And I hope you love the little dragon; I certainly do. NoLegs will be back later for Matt, and I have a thing planned for Anna. Everyone gets little animal followers/helpers! ;P  
This is the last chapter I have written, but the next chapter is mostly done. Don't expect weekly updates after chapter 5, anymore; at least, not until I'm done with Retribution. Also, the chapters will almost certainly be shorter. 10k, (or thereabout) per chapter is difficult to to do. :P  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N:_** _Chapter five is here! Enjoy!_

* * *

The next day saw the four reunited friends making their way across the grassy hills. Triff ran a short ways ahead of the group, nose to the ground and tail wagging with Sath leisurely swooping over her head. Lance was talking with Natalie, trying to figure out more about what the overall situation was of Garthram. Anna hung back a little ways walking beside Matt in silence. The ranger glanced at her silent friend every once in a while, but Matt was always looking away and didn't seem inclined to start talking; it had been that way the entire time they'd been back together. Her attention snapped to Lance as he asked about the Royal Guard's skill.

"Not all that great from what I saw. Mostly swordsman, though occasionally you'll see an archer with them," Anna explained with a shrug.

Natalie nodded, "I've never seen them use magic either. The people I stayed with the first night said magic is really uncommon here."

Matt finally spoke up, "That's basically what Mary said when she said I must have magic to heal so quickly. By the way, what's the thing on your back, Lance?"

"Is there some giant bug there or something?" Lance asked with a frown.

The swordsman shook his head, "Not any bug I've ever seen; not sure that means much, though. I meant the long metal thing you're carrying."

Lance stopped dead and stared at Matt, "You're joking right?" He frowned when Matt merely shook his head, "It's my gun."

"Your gun? What's it do?" Matt asked.

"I… shoot things with it," Lance said slowly, still staring at Matt.

"Why not just carry a bow? It would be a lot lighter," Matt asked puzzled.

Anna snorted, "Lance, use a bow? Not likely. He likes to think he's better than us barbarians."

"Wait, now we're barbarians if we don't use a gun?" Matt asked, bemused.

"If you're named Lance, then yes," the ranger muttered.

A look of realization dawned on the gunner's face, "Oh, right, I forgot; no memory. Still doesn't explain why you don't know what a gun is, though."

Natalie frowned suddenly, "You know, I don't think I've seen even one gun since I got here."

"You mean I have the only civilized weaponry around?" Lance asked. His face morphed into a smirk, "Maybe I should take over here. No-one would be able to stop me; probably would even try to stop me."

Natalie smacked him with her staff, "Don't be stupid; we'd stop you."

Lance rubbed the sore spot on his head and glared at the mage, "Fine, fine. So what else doesn't Matt remember?"

Anna blinked, "You know, that's a really good question. Matt?"

Matt shrugged, "I don't know; you tell me."

Natalie frowned thoughtfully, "Well, we know he doesn't remember his past, or much of anything about us. He didn't remember what any of his stuff looked like so he couldn't get it out of his Adventure Pouch. The family he stayed with said he could still fight, though, so I guess muscle memory is still working for him."

"I'm pretty sure I can use some magic, but I don't know how," Matt added.

Lance blew out a long breath, "So basically he remembers nothing, huh? Good thing they didn't turn him loose. Not much worse than a strong and stupid person without any memories."

Natalie nodded, "That's what I told them. Especially since the king is scooping up all fighters."

Anna shuddered, "I hate to think what they'd have had Matt doing. He'd make them more or less unstoppable."

"Am I really that dangerous?" Matt asked with a frown.

The other three froze and stared at him.

"Are you _sure_ you actually told him about his adventures?" Lance skeptically asked.

Natalie nodded, "All of them; in detail, too. He mostly thinks they're fairy-tales, though."

"Well he needs to quit thinking that and the sooner the better," Lance said with a frown at Matt. The gunner turned to face ahead and called, "Hey Sath? Can you find us some monsters?" The dragon chirped and flew off.

Anna frowned, "Fighting some monsters won't convince him. He's been doing that for weeks."

Lance arched an eyebrow at her, "Well, let's see how he likes fighting them by himself all day? He's obviously more or less in shape so he should be ready for it."

Matt gaped at the gunner, "You're insane."

Natalie sighed, "Lance, making him fight all the monsters on our way to town is mean."

"You forgot 'impossible,'" Matt weakly added. The others ignored him

"He needs to know just how strong he is and what he's capable of. You can heal him if he gets hurt, but maybe if he realizes that he's capable of fighting all day with minimal problems he'll realize we aren't joking about his strength. Besides, he likes fighting, it'll be fun for him," Lance insisted.

Matt gulped as Sath came flying back into view. The dragon circled around their heads and darted off again. Lance smirked and waved for Matt to lead. The swordsman glared at him, but took the lead with a resigned sigh. Soon, a Horned Wolf leapt at them with a snarl. Used to fighting that kind of monster, Matt took it out swiftly. A short while later and they were attacked by a pair of giant mantis; which were also quickly cut down. Their journey went on that way with any time a monster attacked them, Matt killed it alone.

By the time a village came into sight, the swordsman had killed three Horned Wolves, seven large bugs of varying kinds, and one large serpent. To his surprise, he realized that Lance had been right. Not only had it been easy for him, but he had actually really enjoyed the combat. Natalie had only had to heal him once when a pair of bugs had gotten in a lucky hit. The group paused just outside the village. A sign over the gate named the place as 'Fair Crest.'

"Well? Do you believe us now?" Lance asked.

Matt grinned, "Definitely. Can we go kill some more?"

Natalie sighed, "Only Lance would think up something as insane as having a teammate solo a trip across monster infested fields for a test."

"And only Matt would think it was fun," Anna agreed with a chuckle. She turned to the village and frowned, "I think I'll wait out here. I don't know who will or won't recognize me and try to turn me in."

She and the two animals moved a little ways off of the road and sat down in the grass out of sight.

"We'll be out in a little while," Matt called after her, and followed behind Lance and Natalie.

The three wandered down the main street, looking for someplace to buy a map. Natalie stopped a passerby and asked where the store was. The villager waved at a low building across the street and walked away as the three headed for the store. A sign hung over the entrance, swaying some in the light breeze, and named the store ' _Fair Crest Sundries_ ' with a picture of a bag overflowing with fruit and weaponry. Lance shrugged and pushed the door open. Inside the building was dim and the walls were lined with various goods and dried food. The shop keeper nodded a welcome and watched the three poked around some.

"Looking for something specific?" he asked when they frowned.

Natalie looked over with a nod, "Yes, we need a map, if you have one."

The man frowned, "A map? Not a lot of demand for those. Most folk don't travel; besides, maps are expensive. At least, the good ones are."

"So you don't have one, then. Do you know where we can go to find one?" Lance asked impatiently.

Matt nodded, "Yes, we need one. Money really isn't an issue either."

The shop keeper's smile took on a sly cast, "I never said that I don't have one. I actually have a very nice map that I will sell you for eight thousand gold pieces or an equal amount in goods."

Natalie's jaw dropped, "Eight thousand for a piece of paper? That's robbery."

The shop keeper shrugged, "If you really need on then I'm sure you can come up with the cash."

Lance's eyes flashed, "How do we know that your map is even accurate, or that you even have one at all? I'm not even going to consider spending eight thousand with no proof."

"On my honor, I have an accurate map by a kingdom-renown cartographer," the shopkeeper said.

The man pulled a small key out of a drawer behind the counter and unlocked a chest behind him. He shuffled around for a while and withdrew a roll of paper. The man spread it on the counter and beckoned the three closer to look. He missed the smirk Lance gave as the three eyed the map. Natalie hummed as she looked at it.

"I think he's right. I recognize some of these place names. And from what I remember about their locations, they're accurate," the mage said, gesturing to Willowdale.

Lance smirked and straightened up, "Well then, let's be on our way."

The other three stared at him as he turned and headed for the door.

"Wait, but we don't know where we're going," Matt said in confusion.

Lance glanced back, "I do now. I found Fair Crest and traced a path to the border."

The shopkeeper spluttered, "But- I- You tricked me!"

Lance shrugged, "Maybe that will teach not to try and charge insane amounts for your goods. Thanks for your help." He flicked a loose piece of gold onto the counter and walked out.

Natalie glanced at the fuming shopkeeper and snagged Matt's wrist, pulling him outside. They caught up to Lance a little ways down the street. The gunner ignored their looks until they were out of the village. He gave a sharp whistle and Sath came swooping out of the grass, followed by Triff, and finally Anna.

"Good Anna," Lance said with a smirk as Sath chirped and settled down on his shoulder. The gunner flinched as he felt the claws dig in, "Shoot, I forgot about the shoulder pad. Oh, well."

The ranger glared at him before turning to the other two with a smile, "That took a while. Did you get a map?"

Natalie shook her head, "No, but we know where to go, now. Or rather, Lance does. Can you believe the shopkeeper wanted eight thousand for a map?"

"Eight thousand? That's insane," Anna muttered. She shook her head, "So how do we know where to go if you decided not to pay?"

Matt grinned, "Lance tricked the stingy shopkeeper into showing us the map."

"Nice," Anna grinned.

Lance glanced at her then back at the village. He had a frown on his face, "You guys said that the king has been raising taxes, right?"

Natalie blinked at the strange question, "Yes, that's right. Why?"

"The guy had some nice stuff in that chest, that's why. Shouldn't it have been collected by now?" the gunner replied.

Anna crossed her arms, "No."

"Oh, come on. He obviously doesn't need it," Lance insisted.

Natalie shook her head, "No."

Matt frowned in confusion, "What are you guys talking about?"

Lance glanced at him, "Looting the store, of course."

The swordsman raised an eyebrow, "I don't want to be a thief."

"A little late for that: you've stolen plenty of stuff before," Lance said with a smirk.

Anna huffed, "No, Lance. We will not be stealing from the store. And stop re-corrupting Matt."

"You guys are no fun, and you're sucking the fun out of Matt," Lance grumbled. He heaved a sigh, "Fine, no looting. Let's go."

The gunner turned and led them to the south. They hadn't gotten very far from the village when Triff stopped and sniffed the air with her ears pricked. The dog let out a low warning growl as her hackles rose. The sound caused Sath to lift his head from where he had been dozing around Lance's neck and his tongue flicked out a few times to taste the air before he let out a hiss. The four humans froze and drew their weapons, warily eyeing their surroundings.

Lance whispered to Sath and the dragon soared off his shoulders into the sky, circling above their heads, searching for the enemies. On his third circuit, a dart flew out of the grass, narrowly missing the dragon. Sath squeaked and zigzagged higher while Anna returned the shot with a volley of arrows. The bolts rained down on the general location of the first arrow and a cry of pain rang out. Instantly, rustles came from the grass on all sides of the party. The attackers were dressed in mismatched pieces of armor and carried chipped daggers.

"They have daggers and blowguns! They must be bandits!" Matt exclaimed.

"No… really? I think that's pretty obvious by the state of their arms," Lance said his voice heavy with sarcasm.

One of the bandits spoke in a gruff voice, "We know you have money. Drop it without a fuss and we'll let you go."

"Oh, please. Like we're going to do that," Anna muttered.

A different bandit spoke up, "We have you outnumbered and poison darts trained on your position."

Natalie smiled, "Good to know."

The mage cast a barrier spell on the party as they launched into attacking. The bandits were taken aback by the far smaller group attacking first. Someone in their group yelled a battle cry and they surged forward to meet the attack. After a few moments, it was clear that the battle was in the traveler's favor; they had the superior weaponry, skills, and strength. Sath flew over the bandits, lighting their clothing on fire while Triff wove between their legs and bit them. Lance and Matt worked side-by-side with matching smirks as they cut down the bandits in front of them. Anna and Natalie hung back and launched bolts of wood and magic into the throng. Soon, the surviving bandits threw down their weapons and cowered before their targets.

"Stop, please! We surrender," one of them yelled.

Matt cast a glance at Lance who shrugged and nodded. They stepped back, though they kept their weaponry raised. Triff pranced over to Natalie, tail wagging and a strip of leather dangling from her mouth. The mage knelt down and rubbed the dog's head, cooing praise. Sath swooped down onto Lance's shoulder, chirping happily as the gunner raised one hand to scratch his chin. Anna moved to stand next to Matt and glared at the remaining bandits.

"Okay, who told you we have money on us?" she demanded.

The men shook under her irate glare and one stammered, "It-it was the shopkeeper in Fair Crest! He told us you had a lot of money and didn't spend any at the store!"

Natalie sighed, "He probably sent them to get even with us." She eyed the cowering men for a few moments with a steely glint in her eyes, "So you're working with the shopkeeper, huh? How long has that arrangement been going on for?"

The men shuffled uncomfortably, but none one said anything until Lance took a step forward and raised his gunblade threateningly. One man yelped, "Since spring last year!"

Natalie nodded, "Okay then. Well you can tell him the next time you see him that you can't work with him anymore. Otherwise, we'll track you down and beat the crap out of the rest of you."

The men nodded hastily and scrambled up to run away as soon as the mage waved them off.

Lance grunted as he watched them leave, "Figures. Can we loot his store now?"

"Might as well," Natalie agreed with a shrug.

Anna heaved a sigh and reluctantly nodded, "All of his wares are likely stolen anyway. And it's not like any of the monsters here have dropped anything worthwhile; we'll need money eventually—especially with prices so high."

Matt frowned, "I don't think we should be stealing."

Anna grinned, "It is _so_ weird to hear you say that."

"Tell me about it," Lance muttered. He smirked and slung one arm around Matt's shoulder and turned him back to the village, "Maybe you just need to be reminded. Come, young grasshopper. Let me reintroduce you to the joys of larceny."

Natalie and Anna sighed while Matt grumbled and let Lance lead him back to Fair Crest. The four reached the village just as the sun was setting. Lance held Matt back from entering the village with a shake of his head. The swordsman threw him a confused look to which Lance merely smirked.

"First lesson: case the place you plan to rob," the gunner explained. He waved a hand at the village ahead of them, "I already did that when we were there earlier. Generally, you want to know where the entrances are, where the best loot is, and where he keeps any keys for his stuff."

Matt nodded, eyes intent on Lance's face as he listened. There was no trace of his earlier apprehension about stealing anywhere on his face.

"Lesson two: don't go into a building until they're asleep or it's empty. Nighttime is best because there aren't likely to be people around, and the darkness means less chance of being spotted," Lance went on in a lecturing tone.

Anna leaned closer to Natalie and whispered in her ear, "Don't you think we should stop him from teaching Matt to steal again?"

The mage shrugged and whispered back, "Good luck with that. Besides, it was a big part of Matt's past. Pretending it didn't happen—which would be impossible with Lance here, anyway—won't help his memory at all. And maybe Matt will remember something about himself."

"Maybe," Anna mumbled with a skeptical look. She frowned at the village and added, "Can we at least avoid stealing from the good people? I know this guy deserves it, but most don't."

"Sure," Natalie agreed.

The sun set and Lance led the way down the streets, sticking to the shadows, heading for the shop. The other three followed close behind him, eyes scanning for anybody who might see and report them. Lance waved a hand to Sath who nodded and settled down in the shadows above the sign. Natalie gestured for Triff to stay out of sight and the dog slipped into a tipped over rain barrel.

"Lesson number three: always leave a watch," Lance breathed as he reached out and tried the knob of the door. The gunner gave a faint, derisive snort when he discovered the shop didn't even have a lock on it. He opened the door and silently slipped inside; shutting it once the others were in as well.

"What an idiot; doesn't even lock his door," Lance muttered as he headed behind the counter and withdrew the key frim the drawer.

Anna chuckled quietly, "Probably doesn't normally have to worry about thieves breaking in if he's working with them."

"Probably. C'mere, Matt, let see what's worth taking." the gunner said. He dug through the chest, "Looks like we get the map at a five-finger discount, eh?"

Anna gasped and darted forward, "Hey, that's a really nice bow! Gimme!" She scooped up a green bow with arms made of some kind of glittering green stone.

Natalie sighed from where she was scooping gold into a bag, "Y'know, you're getting really into this thieving thing, Anna."

Matt softly laughed as he and Lance dumped various gems into their Adventure Pouches. "I don't blame her, this is fun," he said. He stood up and watched as Lance locked the chest again and stuck the key away, "Should we leave something to say we're on to him?"

Lance shook his head, "Lesson number four: never leave a calling card or anything that can identify you. Besides, the guy will probably figure out what happened on his own when the bandits stop coming by to sell things to him."

The four friends ducked out of the store and slipped out of the village. Sath swooped behind and above them while Triff slipped out of the barrel and loped behind them. The four escaped into the field and jogged a fair distance away before coming to a stop with matching grins.

"That was fun; I can see why you guys do it all the time," Anna said with a laugh.

Lance smirked, "You've been missing out."

Natalie huffed out an amused breath, "That's how they got me, too."

Matt grinned, "Probably shouldn't tell the people I was staying with that my days as a wanton thief are back. Now, let's check out the spoils!"

"Final lesson: be careful when, where and to who you sell your stolen loot," Lance said. "Obviously, we can't sell it to the store owner back there, and anything that is easily recognizable needs a proper fence. Jewels, basic weapons and armor, gold, some jewelry, and other small knickknacks are the easiest and safest things to pawn off."

"Got it," Matt said with a nod.

Natalie held a small ball of fire in the air as Matt and Lance dumped the loot out on the ground. The four sorted through the various pieces of armor, weapons, and assorted trinkets. Lance scooped up a leather pauldron and strapped it onto his left shoulder. Sath trilled as he settled down on it and twined his tail around the gunner's neck. Lance let out a sigh of relief as he didn't feel the prick of claws.

"Not a bad haul," Lance mused as he stuffed a portion of the gold into his adventure pouch.

Anna nodded as she picked up her new bow. She tested the draw weight and grinned, "Not bad. Plus, it feels like it has a wind enchantment. I'm calling it Emerald Cyclone."

"You can try it out next fight," Natalie said. She glanced back in the direction of the village and added, "We'll probably find something while we move. Which way are we going, Lance; I want to get further away from the village before we sleep."

Lance glanced up at the sky and frowned, "I know we need to go south, but without the sun I don't know which way that is."

Anna looked up as well. "Yeah and since the constellations are weird here, I don't know which way to go either."

Lance started, and then stared at her, "Wait, what? The _constellations_ are different?"

The ranger nodded, "Definitely, I can't pick out any of the ones I use back home."

"Wait, but that means…" Lance muttered to himself with a frown. He hesitated and shook his head, "Never mind, I can ask the next person we see about that, or maybe the map can tell me. For now, what should we do for directions?"

Matt glanced at Lance, "Maybe Sath can tell us?"

Sath was sleeping where he was draped on Lance's shoulder. The gunner poked him, but all the dragon did was grumbled and tuck his head under a wing. Lance shook his shoulder slightly and Sath pulled his head out and lifted it up. He looked at the gunner and blew out a small flame with an indignant squeak before tucking his head back under his wing again. Natalie laughed as Lance grumbled about lazy dragons.

"Looks like Sath won't find anything except sleep right now," the mage said with a grin, "Maybe we should just walk further in whatever direction and if we find out that it was wrong tomorrow, then we can just change directions tomorrow."

The other three nodded and started walking. Triff took the lead, tail wagging and ears constantly turning to listen for monsters. The four humans walked in a loose bunch, occasionally yawning as they followed the dog. The air was warm and crickets chirped in the grass. Sometimes there were rustles in the grass, but Triff never paid them any more than a second of attention. Anna was the one who stopped suddenly, eyes fixed on a spot further ahead. A split second later and Triff also stopped with a wary growl. The other three walked another few paces until Anna called for them to stop.

"Guys, there's something up ahead," the ranger whispered.

Matt stifled a yawn as he looked at the unmoving object several yards away still. "Looks like a rock to me," he mumbled.

Anna shook her head, "Too jagged and large to be a regular, solitary rock in the middle of a plain. Besides, Triff is growling."

"Want me to try shooting it?" Lance offered, reaching behind him for his rifle.

Natalie shook her head, "Not yet. It's pretty big; I'd like to know what it is before we try attacking it. Anna, do you think you can check it out?"

The ranger nodded, "Sure. Give me three minutes."

"Wait, is that-" Matt broke off in his question to gape as Anna seemed to just vanish from sight, "...safe? Okay, where the heck did she go?"

Lance snorted quietly, "She went to scout out what the heck that rock is, duh."

Matt shook his head, "I got that, but how did she just vanish like that?"

"Anna's specialty aside from archery is moving around without being noticed. She's a hunter and very good at tracking and stalking," Natalie quietly explained, eyes fixed on the shadowy rock in front of them.

"Got it, but what if she wakes the rock up?" Matt asked with a frown, "Will she be okay on her own?"

"She's not likely to wake it up. Anna could sneak up on any one of us in the middle of the day and we wouldn't hear her until she wanted us to," Lance said with a note of grudging admiration in his voice.

Natalie nodded, "He's right. Besides, on the slight off-chance she does accidentally wake the thing up—if it even is something that _can_ wake up—she's perfectly capable of holding it until we come help."

Placated, Matt nodded and relaxed only to jump a second later when Anna seemed to appear next to him. The ranger grinned at his look of shock before turning that grin on Lance, "So I'm impressive, huh?"

"Hardly," Lance grunted. He raised his hands in surrender as she glared at him and hastily amended, "I mean, yes, of course you are—very impressive, and skilled, and strong. Please don't leave a bunch of smelly plants in my sleeping bag again."

Anna nodded in satisfaction and waved a hand at the rock, "It's a giant tortoise. I think it's awake right now, but if we keep our distance then it should leave us alone."

"Aww, that's no fun," Matt pouted, "I want to kill the rock."

Natalie rolled her eyes, "It isn't a rock, Matt. Besides, it's late; I don't want to fight a giant tortoise."

"But it's right there! Please?" Matt whined.

Natalie sighed and glanced at the other two. "What do you guys think?" she asked in resigned tone.

Anna shrugged, "I don't care either way. Lance?"

"I'm always up for shooting something. Just let me move Sath somewhere," the gunner said with a smirk.

"Okay, then I guess we can fight the tortoise. Triff can stay with Sath," Natalie said.

The gunner nodded lifted the sleeping dragon from his shoulder and set him on the ground next to Triff who had sat down. Sath made faint noise of protest at the movement, but simply curled into a ball with puff of smoke. Matt was shifting from one foot to the other in anticipation. Finally, Lance stood up straight.

"Yay! You're mine, rock!" Matt cried, drawing Heaven's Gate.

"Wait, a second; let's form a-" Natalie said in protest only to break off with an aggravated sigh as Matt lunged forward with his sword raised overhead. "…plan. Why do I even bother?" she muttered.

Anna laughed, "Dunno since Matt has never listened. I can't say for sure what the thing is weak to, but water and ice are probably a safe bets. Maybe poison, too."

"Sounds good," Natalie agreed before raising her staff.

There was a flash of green light and acid splattered against the rocky shell of the tortoise. Lance smirked as he loaded two bullets into his gunblade and shot them at the tortoise right as Matt reached it. The bullets slammed into one of the spots weakened by Natalie's acid magic and the tortoise lurched to its feet with a throaty bellow of pain. It lumbered around to face them, each step shaking the ground, and tried to flatten the swordsman in front of it.

Matt rolled past one of the stomps and wound up under the tortoise. He tried stab the belly, but his Heaven's Gate deflected off the side with a clang. The turtle grumbled and began to lower itself to the ground to rush the swordsman. Matt scrambled out from under the tortoise with a yelp right as the monster settled. The tortoise snapped at him as it raised itself up again, but missed.

An arrow sailed out of the darkness and slammed into the creature's snout. Glowing blue water splashed over its face and dripped down to the ground. The monster opened its mouth and let out another bellow. A brown glow surrounded its body and the ground rumbled beneath Anna's feet before exploding upwards. The ranger was launched into the air and came crashing back down on her back. She sat up with a low groan in time to see Natalie blast the monster with an ice spell. The water Anna had spread instantly froze, sealing the tortoise's mouth shut. Matt seized the opportunity and slashed at the creature's front leg. He cheered as his blade bit into the thick skin and brought the tortoise crashing down on that side.

Lance lowered his aiming visor and loaded one bullet into his gunblade. He carefully aimed the weapon at the monster's face and sharp crack split the air. The bullet slammed into the tortoise's forehead, shattering the ice and killing the monster. He lowered his weapon with a smirk and moved forward to stand next to Matt. He tilted his head back to look up at the body of the monster.

"Pretty big," he admitted. He glanced back as Anna came up on his other side, rubbing her lower back, "You okay?"

"Fine, I just have a bruise is all," the ranger said dismissively, "I didn't expect it to have magic. Nice shot, by the way."

Natalie waved a hand at the ranger and a glowing white light flashed. The ranger nodded to her, "Thanks Natz."

The mage smiled and turned her attention to the tortoise, "Think it has anything good buried in that shell?"

Lance shrugged, "Maybe, but I don't particularly want to climb up there to look for it. Besides, we just got a bunch of stuff from the store. Let's just leave it and go find a place to camp."

"Leave potential loot behind? Never," Matt exclaimed.

The swordsman stuck his Heaven's Gate into the ground moved back a few paces. He ran forward and up on of the tortoise's legs to grab the edge of its rocky shell. With a grunt, he hauled himself up over the lip and moved out of sight. The three still on the ground each released a sigh.

"He's not going to be able to see anything up there in this lighting," Anna muttered.

Natalie laughed, "And since when has he ever considered that? Still, it's nice to see that he remembers that he loves loot."

Lance shrugged and turned to walk back to where Triff was now lying next to Sath. The little dragon was sleeping peacefully in a ball on the ground with the dog's back pressed against him. The gunner slid his gunblade into the sheath at his side and bent down to scoop Sath up. The dragon shifted slightly with a rumbling purr as Lance cradled him. The gunner nudged Triff with his foot and the dog stood up to follow him back to the others.

"Matt still up there?" Lance asked and then yawned.

Anna was sitting on the ground and she tilted her head back to reply, "Yup. You'd think he would have given up on finding anything by now, but there you go."

Natalie cupped her hands over her mouth and called, "Matt, we're going now. Get down here!"

There was a shout in reply and a few seconds later, the swordsman slid down the shell to the ground. In one hand he held a long, dark object. He held it out with a grin, "Look what I found wedged in one of the rocks!"

Lance grunted, "It's a very nice stick, Matt. Can we go now? I'm tired."

Matt rolled his eyes, "It isn't just a stick. It's made of metal."

"I stand corrected. It's a very nice metal stick. Now can we go?" Lance grumbled.

Anna peered at the object in Matt's hands and her jaw dropped, "Is that made of what I think it is?"

Natalie moved forward and took the long object from Matt, "It's tarnished, but it's definitely silver, possibly even pure. Not a bad find, I guess. It has some weird carvings in it, too. We can look at it tomorrow. Right now though, I'm with Lance. Let's go get some sleep."

She handed the silver rod back to Matt who stuffed it in his Adventure Pouch. The four walked until the body of the tortoise was out of sight. Triff was once again leading them, keeping her senses open for any attackers, but nothing more was nearby. Lance glanced around the area for any monsters and stopped.

"This place is as good as any," the gunner said to the others. He shifted his grasp on Sath to hold him with one arm and pulled out his sleeping bag and tossed it to lie on the ground. He slowly settled down on top of it, and was asleep in seconds.

The other three spread their own sleeping gear out and lay down. Anna and Natalie fell asleep quickly, but Matt remained awake. He rested on his side, watching the others as their chests rose and fell evenly in sleep. The swordsman rolled onto his back and gazed up at the innumerable stars overhead as listened to the sounds of the night and the quiet breathing of his sleeping friends. With a sigh, Matt sat up and looked around. He wasn't tired yet and he wondered what he could do to change that. After a moment of contemplations, the swordsman stood up. Triff's head came up from where it had been resting on her paws. The dog looked at Matt and let out a soft huff.

"I'm going to take a walk. I won't go far," Matt whispered to her.

He wondered why he bothered explaining himself to a dog, but Natalie insisted that Triff understood them so he figured it couldn't hurt. The dog cocked her head to one side and seemed to shrug as she lowered her head again. Matt grinned and quietly walked away from the others, through the waist high grass. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the night air, thinking about the past few days.

It was still a bit of a surprise to him that he had been reunited with his friends. He had honestly begun to think that maybe he had wistfully imagined there being people who knew him well enough to want to look for him. It had seemed likely after six weeks of never having anyone who knew him find him. And yet, Natalie and Anna had been searching for him and the others. Lance might not have been searching, what with being trapped, but he had been very active in working to help with the amnesia. And despite Lance's weird and callous way of going about it, the swordsman could tell that it was helping his memory.

Matt wondered how long it would be before he would remember everything. The exposure to familiar people and actions had definitely helped, but he still felt… Off. Some things connected and were blazingly familiar, but others seemed completely foreign. For one, despite how familiarly the others acted with him, he could hardly remember them at all. It was like traveling with a group of friendly strangers. Matt had no doubt that the others were right about him and his past, but half the time he felt so off-balance he wondered if maybe he would never remember. Matt stopped walking with a sigh and flopped to lie on his back in the grass.

"I suppose it's very possible that I'll never remember all of it," he said to himself.

He lay there for a long time, looking up at the stars past the waving grass tips, half-formed images and memories swimming in his mind. Every time he tried to grasp one though, it vanished, just as it had been since John and Jake had found him. Matt wondered how they were doing, and if Jake had actually managed to knock John down yet. He wondered what Mary and Harold would think of the fact that he'd stolen from a store. With a chuckle, he assumed they would chew him out while Jake bounced around yelling about how Matt was able to turn invisible.

Finally, the swordsman heaved a sigh and sat up again. He'd been gone for a long time, and should be getting back; he needed to get some sleep. Plus, the others would be worried if they happened to wake up and saw that he wasn't there. Regardless of whether he could remember them or not, he didn't want to make them worry. Matt rolled to his feet and froze as he heard a rustle in the grass.

Matt drew Heaven's Gate, comforted by the soft sound of metal being drawn and the familiar weight in his hands. The rustling stopped for a moment, but started up again, this time with a low hiss. The swordsman turned his head, eyes darting around as he tried to track the noise. He spun and raised his sword just as a large snake lunged out of the grass at him, mouth wide. The sword caught the snake's open mouth and the monster's momentum led to it being bisected. Matt hissed as one of the fangs grazed his arm in its passing. As soon as the two halves of the snake hit the ground, the swordsman sheathed his weapon and gripped the stinging wound.

Matt gritted his teeth and pulled his sleeve back to reveal a shallow score on his arm. He poked the area around the mark and grunted at the burning sensation. He rolled his sleeve back down and started to make his way back to camp, grumbling to himself about it serving him right for wandering off. He wondered if he should wake Natalie when he got back and whether the resulting lecture she would likely give him would be worth the relief. He was nearly back when the world spun in his vision. Matt groaned against a sudden tightness in his chest. He staggered a few paces before dropping to his knees, and then fell onto his side. His breathing became harsh and he realized with a flash of panic that he hadn't considered the possibility of the snake he had killed being venomous.

The swordsman pushed himself up on to his arms, but collapsed back down, his sword clattering against his back. He opened his mouth to call out, hoping that maybe Triff or Sath would hear him, but the tightness in his chest prevented his voice from getting much louder than a whisper. Matt shut his mouth again with a flash of despair as his vision began to darken. The despair became hope as he heard a rustle rapidly approaching him from the direction of the camp. Triff's head came into view a split second before he passed out.

Triff sniffed at the unconscious swordsman's arm, before throwing her head back and letting out a string of loud barks. Her ears twisted in the direction of the camp as she heard Lance yell for her to shut up. The dog barked again and let out a long howl that woke Natalie and Anna up. She heard exclamations back at the campsite and howled one more time. Triff bit down on Matt's collar and began dragging him back to the others, she hadn't gotten very far when Anna burst into sight next to her. Triff let go and looked up at the ranger with a whine.

"What the hell?" Anna gasped in shock as she stared at Matt's grey face and listened to his shallow breathing. She turned her head and yelled, "Natalie come quick; Matt's down and wheezing!"

Sath swooped past her head followed by pounding footsteps, and Natalie and Lance were beside them. The mage's eyes widened and she dropped to her knees next to Matt. She took in his pale and sweating face, and his whistling breaths with a sinking suspicion that she knew what was wrong. Triff confirmed it a moment later by nudging one of Matt's arms with her nose, and she pulled the sleeve back to see a scrape with red lines extending from it. Sath let out a hiss as he tasted the air with his tongue.

"Poison," Natalie muttered. She raised her staff and cast Cleanse on Matt. The lines receded from the wound and the swordsman took a deep breath. A second later and Natalie cast heal on him to fix the wound before sitting back. "That was close," she said to the others with a sigh. She reached around to rub Triff's head, "Good work, girl."

The dog barked and Natalie grinned at her before glancing up at Lance and Anna. "Who wants to yell at him first?" she asked with an irritable gleam in her eyes

Lance glanced at Anna who shrugged. He stepped forward and grabbed Matt's collar to haul him up. The swordsman jerked awake at the sudden movement and stared at the glaring eyes right in front of his own. Matt gulped and tried for a weak smile. His reward was Lance roughly shaking him.

"What the hell, Matt? Do you really think we need to be woken up in the middle of the night because you wandered off and got poisoned? I'm tempted to go find whatever did it and ask they come finish the job!" Lance spat.

"That might be a little difficult. It's in two pieces," Matt mumbled.

Natalie snorted and added, "Well that's good, at least. Next time you get poisoned, or even think you've been poisoned, avoid moving: it spreads the venom faster. Yell and we'll come help you."

Lance heaved Matt a little higher and set the swordsman on his feet before pointing back to where they were camping, "Go lie down, and don't wander off again." He caught Matt as the swordsman swayed and began to slump back down.

With a growl, the gunner grabbed one of Matt's arms and slung it around his shoulder before heaving him up and supporting his weight. Lance jerked his head at the others and led the way back to the camp. He lowered Matt to lie down and glared at him, eyes promising pain if the swordsman wandered off again. Lance grunted at the nod he got in return and turned to head back to his bed. He settled down on it and Sath swopped over to land on his side, both fell asleep again.

Anna and Natalie sat down on their own spots and released matching sighs. The mage reached out to rub Triff's ears and head as the dog settled beside her again. The dog let out a content grumble and closed her eyes with a sigh. The mage moved to rhythmically petting Triff's side before stopping. She and Anna looked up to fix Matt with looks of mild irritation.

"I'm sorry," Matt mumbled to the two women.

Their eyes softened some at the guilty note in his words. Anna shook her head, "It's fine. We've all done a similarly stupid act at least once. The important thing is that you're okay."

Natalie nodded, "Exactly. But please avoid scaring us like that again."

"I'll try," Matt agreed. He yawned and mumbled, "G'night." Within a few seconds, he was out.

Anna yawned as well and flopped down on her sleeping bag. For a few moments, Natalie remained sitting up. The mage glanced over at Anna.

"Hey, Anna?" Natalie asked. She went on when the ranger made a humming inquiry, "D'you think we should tell Matt that just because he's strong doesn't mean he's invincible?"

The ranger rolled over to face Natalie, "Probably should. He won't think of it on his own, and if there are things around here with that fast of acting venom, he needs to stick by people who can heal him." She yawned and added in a mumble, "And we should probably reinforce that not everything is edible while we're at it."

Natalie gave a quiet laugh, "Yeah, the last thing we want is Matt to try eating random plants again. Somehow, I feel like that habit won't be missed." The mage finally lay down with a yawn. "Good night, Anna," she said, eyes closing.

Anna made a sleepy attempt to reply, but was out before she finished.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _Lance is a bad influence, huh? And it was only a matter of time until Anna was corrupted too. xD_

 _This is the last chapter I have written for this fic. I've started the next one, but it isn't anywhere near done yet. From this point on, chapters will be randomly uploaded whenever I finish them. If anyone has little ideas they might want thrown in, please let me know! I have the plot already planned, but there's lots of room for additions/changes._ ;) _Leave the ideas with your review, but also tell me what you thought of the chapter! See you!_


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N:_** _I have not forgotten about this story, don't worry! Time for some new characters to be introduced!_

* * *

The next morning, Lance grumbled at Matt about the rude awakening the night before, but admitted he was glad the swordsman was okay—in a roundabout sort of way. He told Matt that having to find a new meatshield would have been a pain so it was good their current one wasn't dead. Natalie and Anna asked if the swordsman was okay. Matt grinned and assured them that he felt fine. He explained how the snake that had gotten him, and mentioned that he didn't realize he had been poisoned until right before he had collapsed.

"Stick nearby the rest of us until we've gotten back home," Natalie said. "We don't know the capabilities of most of the creatures around here, and I'd rather not find out from first-hand experience if at all possible."

Matt nodded, "Okay. Is that all?"

Anna piped up, "One more thing: _please_ don't eat random plants off the ground? You'll get sick."

The swordsman looked confused. He shot a look at Lance when he heard a suspicious snort as he asked, "Eat random plants off the ground? Why would I do that?"

"Bad habit of yours," Lance replied with a smirk. "They're right: don't do it."

"Oookay…" Matt slowly agreed with a baffled frown. "So we're going to the border now, right? About how far is it, do you think?"

Lance frowned, "Before we start walking, I want to check something on the map."

The gunner tugged their stolen map out and spread it out on the ground. Natalie, Matt, and Anna watched with confused looks as he ran a finger over seemingly random places and names. His attention was mostly focused on the oceans surrounding much of the kingdom. Lance shook his head with a concerned frown and looked up.

"I don't recognize a single one of these oceans," he announced in a low voice.

Anna cocked her head, "And that's a problem, because?"

"Because it's something he doesn't know?" Natalie said with a snicker.

Lance shot a glare at her as he said, "No, it's a problem because it means we are nowhere near our land." He gestured at Anna and then at the sky, "Anna didn't recognize any constellations last night right? I was hoping that meant we had somehow ended up on the wrong hemisphere."

Anna nodded, "That makes sense."

"Now, I'm not so sure," Lance went on with a glance around at them all. "Since I don't know any oceans here, and Anna doesn't know any constellations, I think we might be on another world entirely."

Natalie's jaw dropped, "How the heck do we get back, then?"

Lance gave her an uncertain shrug, "We quite literally got here by magic, maybe there's another portal somewhere that can take us home?"

"But how do we find it, if it's there?" Anna asked. "We found the last one by accident."

Matt spoke up, "Ask around? Maybe someone has seen one."

"Doubtful. Most people don't travel, remember?" Natalie said with a shake of her head.

Anna nodded, "I'm not sure asking around for a magic bubble is a good idea, anyway. It would be like announcing to the world that we're adventurers. The king is already looking for strong fighters, and we definitely fit the bill. I'm already wanted, and it's likely only a matter of time before his soldiers find out about you guys, too."

"Right, okay," Matt said. "So do we still go for the border, or stay in Garthram?"

Lance shook his head, "If the portal sent us here, then I'll bet the return portal, if it exists, is around here somewhere. We'd never find any leads on it elsewhere, so we might as well stay here and keep low profiles while we search."

"I guess that's the best we can do. Where should we start?" Anna asked.

"We need to find someone who is well connected," Lance mused. He pointed to a large dot on the map further north than they had been traveling labeled 'Stonecroft' and suggested "Let's go to this town and ask around about who's in the know."

The others nodded and Lance folded the map up. They set off in a loose group with their eyes scanning absently for any signs of trouble. It was more of an instinct at this point rather than an expectation of trouble. Natalie scooped a stick off the ground and threw it for Triff to run after. The dog let out an excited bark and raced to retrieve the stick. She brought it back, tail wagging and eyes begging for another throw.

They did this a few more times until on the seventh throw, Sath sprang off of where he had been perched on Lance's shoulder. The small dragon had been watching the game with interest and wanted to participate. He caught the stick and brought it back to Natalie with a small chirp. Triff, not knowing the stick had already been retrieved, kept running a short ways before stopping. Lance let out a snort of amusement as the dog nosed around before returning with her ears lowered. Natalie couldn't quite suppress her grin as she assured the dog it was okay.

Anna watched Natalie throw the stick again and Triff stayed still, waiting for it to fall before running after it. The dog saw Sath dart after the stick and catch it with a harpy trill, and let out a bark of protest. The dragon hovered in midair and dropped the stick for Triff to retrieve. The dog barked again and shot after the branch only to skid to a stop when Sath snatched it up again and flew in a circle over her head. She ran around, following the sick dangling just out of her reach.

"Your dragon is almost as much of a jerk as you are, Lance," Anna chuckled. "At least it'll keep them both entertained for a little while."

Lance laughed as Triff stopped and shook her head to dispel the dizziness from running in circles. The dog sat down and waited for Sath to stay still for a moment. Her brown eyes patiently tracked the dragon for a moment before letting out a whine. Instantly, Sath dropped to the ground and held the stick out for the dog. Triff licked the top of the dragon's head before taking the stick and trotting back towards Natalie with her prize.

Natalie accepted the stick and petted her dog as she watched Sath settle down on Lance again. "I dunno. I think his dragon is nicer than he is," she said with a laugh.

Sath gave an indignant squeak and rubbed against the Lance's cheek. Clearly, the little dragon thought Lance was plenty nice. Natalie laughed and turned her head forwards again. She frowned as she spotted a large group of people on horseback come over the hill in front of them. By their armor and weaponry, they were the king's soldiers. A man on a black horse led their group, carrying a banner of yellow, purple, and white. A wolf's head with a double bladed ax was emblazoned on the banner. The mage stopped.

"Great," she muttered, "They'll already have spotted us. That means Anna can't go hide."

Anna heaved a sigh, "Peachy, now what?"

Lance frowned, "I doubt they brought a whole squad out here to catch one rebel. Maybe we can just duck our heads and they'll ignore us."

"And if that doesn't work?" Matt asked.

Lance smirked, "Beat them down, of course."

They moved to the side of the path with Anna closest to the grass. The ranger slipped her bow away and hunched down to stay more out of sight. The company of knights rode closer to them. Their leader called a halt just before reaching their party. Lance tensed and his hand fell to the hilt of his gunblade. Matt's hand rose to grasp the hilt of his sword while Natalie shifted her feet to a wider stance. Triff stood silent and alert, while Sath tensed in preparation to take off of Lance's shoulder. Anna gulped as the man on the black horse scrutinized their party, eyes wandering over each of their faces and weapons.

The man's weathered face split into a smile, "Hail, travelers. We're looking for a large tortoise that has been causing trouble, have you seen it?"

Matt frowned at the friendly greeting and lack of any mention of their gear. "We killed a large tortoise last night," he replied.

Lance slapped a hand to his face and muttered under his breath, "Might as well tell them we have years of fighting experience and have slain gods."

"Why would I do that?" Matt muttered back in confusion.

"Never mind," Natalie sighed.

The man in front of them looked surprised, "Truly? Perhaps it wasn't as big a problem as we had been told. Thank you for your aid."

Matt shrugged, "You're welcome, good day."

He and the others made to keep walking, but were stopped by the man again. "Why in such a rush? It's about lunch time, join us for some food. You can tell me and my men about the tortoise."

Matt exchanged a glance with the rest of the party. Natalie shook her head faintly and said, "Thank you, but we really must be on our way."

"Is it because you're transporting a known criminal?" the man asked with amusement. "The girl in the back there is rather wanted right now."

Instantly, the party drew their weapons and fell into battle stances. They wavered in confusion when the man waved his hand with a hearty laugh.

"There's no need for that," he chuckled. "You've done the kingdom a service by killing that tortoise. Perhaps we can arrange to have the charges dropped from your friend."

Natalie stilled, "Can you do that?"

"Sure," the man said with an easy smile, "As the king's champion and top commander, I have a lot of sway over His Majesty's opinion. I'm sure persuading him to pardon your friend will be easy."

"And why would you do that?" Lance asked with a suspicious frown. "Isn't she accused of murder and interfering with recruitment? Killing one monster doesn't even come close to those charges."

"Well, I can tell by looking at you four that you're good and talented people," the man said. "I'm also hoping you might be willing to help me with a problem."

Natalie frowned, "What kind of problem?"

The man grinned, "I'll tell you when we've reached an agreement."

The four friends exchanged glances. Lance still looked suspicious, but couldn't see any reason to refuse the offer. They would have a much easier time searching for the way back home if they didn't need to worry about being arrested for helping Anna. They each nodded and Matt turned back to the man.

"We'll help if you promise to drop the charges on Anna, and don't try to force us to join your army" he agreed in a level voice.

The man beamed and rubbed his hands together, "Splendid, we'll break here for lunch and I'll explain what I need you to do."

He called the order to his men who clambered down from their horses with relieved sighs. Some set about starting a fire to cook the food over. Others split into small hunting parties and headed off through the grass. The commander swung down from his horse and passed it to one of his knights to picket it in the grass to graze. He beckoned the four adventurers to join him beside the fire. They followed him and sat down on the opposite side, still with fairly suspicious looks on their faces. The commander pulled out a water skin and took a few gulps before letting out a sigh. He leaned forwards and fixed the four with a level look.

"We're having problems with certain commanders," he started.

Natalie frowned, "What kinds of problems?"

The man spread his hands in frustration, "Harassment of villagers, undue collection of taxes, unlawful imprisonment; all in the name of the king. I don't have the men to track down where they're operating from and none of the villagers are willing to speak up."

Matt started, "Wait, so the trouble isn't sanctioned by the king?"

"Of course not," the commander sniffed.

Lance still looked skeptical, "And what does any of that have to do with us? We're not even from around here. We don't know who is or isn't a king's soldier, or whether what they're doing is okay or not."

Anna shot him a glance before turning to the commander, "How long has this been going on for, and where should we start looking?"

"Do you know the village Stonecroft?" the commander asked.

Natalie nodded, "That's where we were headed. Is that where the trouble started?"

"Yes, that's the area of the earliest reports," the commander said with a nod.

Lance scowled, "Have you begun investigating there?"

The commander looked embarrassed, "No, not yet. I actually have not been down here in many months. I was called out here to take care of a demon."

Matt shot a look at Lance, "Would the demon's name happen to have been Sath?"

"Yes, it was," the commander said in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Heard it in passing," Lance lied smoothly. "Have you dealt with it already?"

"Yes. We collapsed the passage to the altar," the man said with satisfaction. "There have been no problems since then."

"Good to hear," Anna said, her lips twitching in a grin.

The man smiled in agreement, "Yes, we can't have insane monsters threatening to burn down villages. Now, I don't believe we ever exchanged names. I am Matias, King's Champion and Supreme Commander of His Armies."

Anna nodded, "My name is Anna, a ranger. These three are Matt, he's a swordsman, Lance, our…" she hesitated as she tried to think of a way to name him without having to explain guns, "magic swordsman, and Natalie, our red mage."

Matias nodded, "Please to meet all of you. Now then, I do believe the men are back with food. We'll eat and be on our way to report to the king. I'll send out messengers to repeal the bounty on Anna."

The four nodded and watched as the deer the hunters had brought back was jointed and stuck on spits to cook. Lance kept his eyes on Matias the entire time as the commander moved about the troops. The men certainly seemed to like him, and he'd been genial throughout their whole conversation. Still, the gunner kept a suspicious look on him. Anna nudged him

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Lance frowned, "I don't trust him."

Matt shrugged, "He seems nice enough to me."

"That's just it: he's being too nice," Lance said. "Nobody gives respect to criminals that fast."

Natalie snickered, "I think you're just mad that he successfully trapped you in canyon."

Lance scowled at her, "He's going to back-stab us, just you wait. I'm going to say I told you so when it happens."

"I say just take the stroke of luck that he helped us and let it go," Anna said.

Lance frowned, but said nothing else. Matias came back over with a few strips of fresh-cooked venison. Matt's eyes lit up as he accepted his chunk. He promptly shoved the entire piece in his mouth, chewing with relish. Anna and Natalie laughed at him and thanked the commander. Lance shook his head, refusing the meat, and pulled out his own food to eat. Matias looked puzzled, but shrugged and turned as a few of his men came over.

The knights settled down and began chatting with the four adventurers. Anna, Natalie, and Matt readily talked about the giant tortoise they had taken down the night before. Lance responded to direct questions with clipped explanations. Soon the rest of the group left him alone to watch the dynamics of the others. Every once in a while, Matias' gaze flicked over to the silent gunner with furrowed brows. Finally, he addressed the problem.

"Something wrong?" he asked in a mild voice.

Natalie sighed and waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, don't mind him. He's just paranoid."

Lance shot her an irritated and stood up, "I'm going to go on ahead. See you when you catch up." He waited for Sath to land on his shoulder and slipped away with a stiff back.

The other three watched him go with ranging looks of exasperation and confusion. The knights watched the gunner walk past with confused looks, but shrugged his departure off and went back to laughing and eating. Matias watched Lance's back with a frown.

"Will he be okay on his own?" he asked.

Anna nodded, "Lance is perfectly capable of fighting just about anything on his own. We all are. He'll slow down once he's out of sight so we can catch up to him."

Matias looked impressed, "You all must be quite strong. How long have you four been fighting together?" He directed the question at Matt.

The swordsman shrugged, "A while."

Natalie glanced at him, sensing he didn't want to discuss his amnesia. "Matt and I have been a team for the longest; several years, now. Lance joined up a little after we started working together, and Anna has been on the team for two years, now," she explained.

"Impressive, you all seem to be awfully young for that kind of life," Matias said in a fascinated voice. "Mind showing the men a few moves in a spar?"

Matt tilted his head, "I don't see why not. I can spar whoever."

Matias looked pleased, "Very well then! Let me go find a combatant, I'll be right back."

Anna watched him go and turned to Matt. "Don't do anything super-fancy, or beat the guy too quickly," she warned.

"Why?" Matt asked.

The ranger glanced towards where Matias was speaking with a burly man wielding a double headed ax. "If Lance is right about Matias, then we don't want to give him any more information on us than is necessary," she said in a low voice.

Natalie frowned, "You think Matias will betray us?"

Anna shrugged, "Not exactly, but I trust Lance more than some guy I just met. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"True," Matt agreed as he stood up and stretched his arms in front of him.

Matias came back with the ax-wielder and a broad smile on his face, "Sir Thomas has agreed to spar with you. Unfortunately, we don't have any practice weapons with us, so you'll have to pull your blows some. Please avoid maiming or killing each other. First to call quits or be disarmed is the loser."

Matt grinned, "Easy enough."

He drew his sword as everyone but Thomas moved back. Matt's eyes remained fixed on his opponent, but his form actually relaxed overall. Thomas' face was concealed behind a helmet, but he hefted his large weapon with ease. The man spun his ax a few times to get into the feel of wielding it before gripping it with both hands. Matias glanced between them to check that they were ready before calling to start. Matt remained perfectly still, lightly balanced on his feet. Thomas stayed still as well for a few moments before charging forwards.

Natalie's eyes were fixed on the two men sparring. She was confident that Matt would be fine, and would win. She watched Matt twist to the side to avoid the head of the ax and lunged forwards to smack the flat of his blade against Thomas' side. The knight grunted and brought his ax around in a sideways stroke. Its swing was stopped by Matt's blade catching the hilt. The blond grinned and slid his weapon down the shaft of the ax to whack into Thomas' fingers. Right as he connected, he twisted his sword in a blindingly fast flicker. The ax fell to the ground and Matt stood back.

Anna cheered with the rest of the people, but hadn't actually watched the fight at all. She'd kept her green eyes fixed on Matias the entire time. The commander's eyes intently watched the fight, focusing on any moves Matt made. The gleam in his eyes was cold and calculating, not the open look he'd had when speaking with them. Clearly, he was judging Matt's capabilities as a fighter. The ranger was beginning to think Lance was right. Especially once Matias began grilling Matt on his disarm move. The swordsman merely said he couldn't remember where he'd learned it, and that he'd had plenty of experience. Matias looked disappointed and frustrated, but nodded his acceptance.

Anna spoke up, "We should get going. Lance tends to get huffy when we take too long. Thank you for the food and pardon. How do we contact you when we've gathered some info?"

Matias glanced at her, "Any guards' post should have messenger pigeons you can use. I'll be sure to add that in my message of your pardon. Farewell."

The three waved goodbye and Anna led them away from the knights. Triff, not liking the change in positions, ran ahead of her with a bark. The ranger grinned and ran a little faster until Natalie called for them to slow down. Triff stopped immediately with Anna at her side. The two shot the mage matching sulking looks. Matt and Natalie caught up and they walked side by side over a crest. There at the bottom of the slope, sat Lance. The gunner glanced up at an alert from Sath and stood up to greet them.

"So, ready to go to Stonecroft?" he asked when they reached him.

The others nodded and they formed up to keep walking. Anna moved to walk beside Lance. In a low voice, she explained the spar Matt had done and Matias' reactions during it. Lance's eyes darkened and he let out a sigh.

"We'll just have to keep our eyes peeled," he said quietly. "I'm fairly certain he'll clear your name, at least for now. We should ask some people what they think of him."

Matt and Natalie watched the two quietly speaking. Natalie's face slowly spread in a sly grin. She leaned closer to Matt and said in a sing-song tone, "Anna and Lance sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

The pair whipped around to glare at them. Matt was laughing while Natalie smirked at their glares.

"Like I would ever kiss him," Anna snapped.

Lance looked disgusted by the mere thought, "She'd taste like grass, anyway." He flinched as Anna's angry looked moved to him. "I mean, like... Flowers! Yeah, sweet, lovely flowers," he hurriedly amended. He breathed a sigh of relief as Anna looked slightly mollified and turned her glare back on the two behind them.

"And _you_ are hardly one to talk about crushes, Natalie," Anna said with a pointed glance at Matt.

Normally, that kind of comment would have flown over the swordsman's head. This time, however, he shot a look at the mage. He had a small frown on his face.

"Is she my girlfriend?" he asked nervously. "I didn't forget about that too, did I?"

The other three stared at him in surprise. Anna and Lance exchanged amused looks and said, "Yes."

At the same moment, Natalie said, "NO."

Matt looked perplexed, "So which is it?"

Inwardly, he wasn't sure which one he wanted to be true. On the one hand, Natalie was beautiful. On the other, he remembered next to nothing about her, which would suck if she _was_ his girlfriend.

Natalie's cheeks were bright red as she scowled at the two in front. "Matt is _not_ my boyfriend. Stop using his amnesia to try and convince him otherwise."

Lance snorted, "He might as well be." He raised his hands in surrender when Natalie raised her staff threateningly.

"And you know you want him to be," Anna mumbled under her breath. She shrank back behind Lance when Natalie's eyes shifted to her, daring her to repeat herself where she could be heard.

The mage nodded and turned to Matt with tinted cheeks. "We aren't a couple, don't listen to them," she said in a flat voice.

Matt cocked a brow at the flash of disappointment in her eyes, but nodded. "If you say so," he agreed. He gestured to Anna and Lance, "Are they a couple? They fight like one."

Natalie burst out laughing at the splutters that came from the pair. "No," she chuckled, "but you're right that they fight like one." She shot them a sly look, "I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

Lance scowled at her, "Enough chatter, let's pick up the pace."

Anna shot her own glare at them and turned away. The four walked in silence for several miles. Sath flew lazily over their heads, keeping watch for monsters. Triff ran ahead a little ways, occasionally stopping to sniff at random spots. At one point, she and Sath shot off the path together and found another stick. They squabbled over it until Natalie whistled for them to catch up. The two animals abandoned the stick and rejoined the humans.

The sun was setting when a large village came into sight ahead of them. A thick stone wall was built around the city with a heavy gate as the only entrance. A small hill of stone sat just outside the walls. The piles of cut stone and metal carts nearby signified it to be a quarry or mine. Lance consulted the map and nodded. The town was Stonecroft. They would head in and ask around about corrupt guards, and hopefully find a few leads. On top of that, they needed to find out if anyone had heard any rumors of magic portals having popped up anywhere.

They walked into the gate and Sath dropped to land on Lance's shoulder again. The dragon chirped uneasily and huddled close to the gunner's neck. Lance raised one hand to rub the dragon's side comfortingly and glanced down at Triff. The dog stayed close by Natalie's legs, ears pricked warily. Clearly, the animals sensed something wrong with the town, but it wasn't until they moved further in that the humans had the same feeling.

There was next to no one in the streets. Those they passed stayed far away from the travelers and constantly looked about with furtive eyes. Their attitudes reminded the party of wild animals, poised to bolt at any sign of trouble. The air was thick with the sensation of fear and suspicion. It made the travelers almost as nervous as the townspeople. They exchanged glances and silently moved closer together, their hands hovering near or on their weaponry.

The other thing they noticed was the complete lack of any guardsmen anywhere. They expected to see some at the gates, but there were no lookouts posted, then they expected to see one or two patrolling the streets, but again they saw none. Finally, Anna stopped and planted her hands on her hips. She looked around for a long moment before turning to the others.

"Obviously, something is wrong here," she said in a flat voice. "I doubt any of the people will tell us what's up, either."

Lance nodded and watched a person scurry into a house and slam a door. "This place is nothing like Fair Crest," he agreed.

"Nor any other village we've been to," Natalie added.

Matt shrugged, "So what do we do?"

Lance sighed and suggested, "Find the tavern and knock out the nastiest guy there?"

"That will endear us to the people," Natalie said sarcastically.

Anna glanced at her, "It might to some. Somebody has to be running this town, and I bet if we attract their attention, we'll-"

The rest of her sentence was cut off as somebody shouldered past her at a sprint. Matt caught her before she hit the ground and shot a glare at the man running off. He started back in surprise when Natalie launched an ice spell at the man, freezing his feet in place.

"Jeez, remind me not to run into you," he mumbled.

Natalie shot him a grin before she stormed forwards. The other followed behind her in confusion and watched as she jammed her staff under the man's chin. "Hand over the pouch you stole, and don't try anything funny," the mage snapped.

Anna's eyes widened and her hand shot to her waist to find that her Adventure Pouch was missing.

The thief's eyes were wide with fear and he slowly reached under his cloak to reveal Anna's pouch. He set it in the mage's hand. Natalie nodded with satisfaction and handed it back to Anna. She turned a sour look on the man and melted the ice binding him to the dirt of the street. Instantly, the man shot off.

"Nice one, Natz," Lance said.

The mage shrugged, "He was stupid about it. Everyone else has been avoiding us, and we didn't even hear him coming before he ran into Anna. Now then, about finding this tavern?"

Matt pointed a finger to a large building across the street. A large sign over the door had a beer keg and a tankard behind the words The Rambling Gambler. "Think that's it?" he asked mildly.

Even as he spoke, the door swung open and pool of light spilled across the street, coupled with a swirl of noise. A pair of men came stumbling out and headed down the street together. They linked arms, swaying drunkenly, and singing two entirely different songs, equally off key. Lance snorted as one fell down and dragged the second man down with him. The two brawled for a few moments until one was knocked out and the other took his money and left him there in the street.

"Yeah, I think that's our place," the gunner agreed. "Stick close to us, Anna and Natalie. I'm sure there all colors of unsavory characters in there."

They headed across the street, and into the still-open door. The air was thick with the stench of sweaty bodies, smoke, and alcohol. Everyone seemed to be talking at once, creating a never-ending drone of noise. Natalie and Anna stayed close to Matt and Lance as the gunner led the way to a mostly-empty table. He shoved an unconscious drunkard off a seat and took his chair. Matt raised an eyebrow at the act, but merely sat down across from him. Natalie and Anna sat between the two men and looked around nervously. Triff settled down under the table at Natalie's feet, while Sath remained on Lance's shoulder. Lance flagged down a serving girl and ordered a round of beer, handing over a couple of gold pieces to pay.

The gunner turned his eyes to the crowd around them. Several other tables were playing rounds of dice with piles of gold and silver coins stacked on the wood. A little further away and a group of particularly shady-looking hooded figures were throwing knives at a pock-marked target on the wall; each knife thrown hit dead-center. Two scarred and muscular guys were standing on either side of the entrance, eyes on the crowd for any signs of serious trouble. Several of the not-as-drunk patrons were watching the newcomers, though they pretended they weren't.

Their beers were delivered, and Lance took an idle sip of his. He made a face and set it down again. Matt chugged his down with no problems whatsoever. Lance slid his across the table for the swordsman and smirked as Matt downed that one too. Anna took one look at hers and also passed it to Matt. Natalie made a similar face to Lance's and handed hers over as well. Matt grinned and downed both their drinks and let out a belch.

"Not bad," he said with a grin.

Lance snorted, "Tastes like watered down mud to me, but whatever."

A burly man rose from the table nearby. He'd been watching their group and figured such young faces would be easy to swindle. He strode over and plunked down in a chair next to Lance, directly across from Matt. He eyed the four empty tankards around the swordsman and smirked. The four seated around the table eyed the man warily, but said nothing.

"Want to play a round?" the man asked, holding up a pair of dice.

Matt shook his head, "No thanks."

The man shrugged, "How about a contest, then?"

Lance arched a brow, "Depends on the contest."

The man smirked, "A simple one. We drink, and whoever passes out first loses."

Lance smiled with a sly gleam in his eyes, "What're we betting?"

"What do you want?" the man asked in an expectant tone, "Gold, women, weapons?"

"Information," Lance said in a level voice, "We need to know who to talk to who's well-connected. What do you want?"

"I think the busty girl sitting next to you will do," the man said.

Natalie spluttered, "Excuse you? I am not a bargaining chip!"

Lance waved a hand to calm her down. He turned back to the man and smirked, "Deal." He ducked the smack Natalie sent his way. "Matt over there will be your opponent," he went on. "Call someone over who will be able to fill your end of the bargain when you lose."

"Tough words, you'd better hope that Blondie over there can back them up," the man snorted. He turned and bellowed over his shoulder, "Hey, Barnes, get over here!" When the man, Barnes, arrived, he was filled in to direct them to someone they called 'The Whisper' if he lost the match.

Matt glared at Lance, "Why me?"

"Because you never get drunk, at least not seriously," Lance said with a smirk still on his face.

Matt sighed and grumbled-, "I'm taking your word on that one. Fine, order the drinks."

Soon they were guzzling down beer after beer. Natalie maintained a glare on Lance the entire time. The gunner affected to not notice as he watched the match. By the fifth drink, Matt was still going strong, but his opponent was swaying in his seat. Three drinks later, and the man slowed down. One drink after that and he turned green, vomited on the floor, and passed out. Matt set his empty tankard down, only slightly flushed from the alcohol.

"Huh, guessh you were right," he slurred.

Lance smirked and turned to Barnes, "So, tell us about The Whisper."

Barnes looked suitably impressed by the amount of alcohol Matt had guzzled. He nodded and explained that nobody knew the man's real name, but that he was so well connected that people claimed he had eyes in every room, everywhere in Garthram. He could get any object you wanted, given that you could pay his price, but was notoriously hard to contact. Barnes told them that The Whisper likely already knew they were looking for him, even if they hadn't known about him until now. If he wanted to speak with them, they would know before the night was out.

Lance nodded and waved Barnes off. The man scooped his fellow bar mate off the ground, filched his coin-purse, and headed outside. Lance turned to the others and motioned for them to follow. Matt stood up easily enough, but needed Anna's hand to guide him through the bar. Once outside, Natalie smacked Lance as hard as possible.

"Gods, how can you agree to just throw me around like that!" she hissed. Sath squeaked, but it was hard to tell if he agreed with Natalie, or was protesting her smacking Lance.

Lance rubbed his sore cheek and muttered, "I wouldn't if I thought we might lose."

Anna snorted, "It's more the idea that you were perfectly okay with it at all that she has a problem with." She glanced at Natalie and added, "Please fix Matt before we get attacked, mugged, or otherwise messed with."

The mage huffed and shot one more glare at Lance before cleansing the alcohol from Matt. The swordsman blinked at the sudden clarity of vision and thought, and grinned his thanks to her. He fixed his own glare on Lance.

"Gambling our party members off is not cool," he groused.

Lance threw his hands in the air, "Okay, I'm sorry, yeesh. Now how do we find this whisper guy?"

"You don't find him, he finds you," a silky voice said from right behind the gunner.

Lance jumped and spun around with his hand on his weapon, upsetting Sath's balance and sending him squeaking into the air. The rest of the party looked equally shocked at the sight of a hooded and masked figure standing so close to them. Even Triff let out a yelp of surprise. None of them had heard his approach. They could sense his amusement at their moment of surprise. He bowed to them, the movement fluid and graceful.

"I heard you need information. On magic portals to other worlds, on guards who seek unlawful gains from the people, and on the King's Champion, Matias," he said as he straightened up again.

Anna looked impressed, "Wow, you do hear everything. I don't think we mentioned the portal in town at all. Or Matias and the guards, for that matter"

The Whisper shrugged, "It is true that I hear a great many things, Anna." He seemed once again amused at the look of surprise on the ranger's face at his knowing her name before turning away. "Now, follow me and we'll talk prices. And don't worry about my turning on you. I know better than that. Besides, death is not good for business." He turned and began gliding away, as silently as he had come.

Matt glanced at the others before following after the man. The others fell in step behind him. Finally, they were going to get some answers. Hopefully ones they could use.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _Well, lots of info in this one! I hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know what you think and I'll be back whenever I_ _finish the next chapter!_


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N:_** _Okay, time for a few answers, and a thieves guild! This one's a little short, next one should be longer, though. Enjoy!_

* * *

Matt led the way after the Whisper with the rest of the party close behind them. The mysterious cloaked figure in front of them seemed to float across the ground. His footsteps made no noise, though he didn't seem to be making any effort to be stealthy. Anna watched him with fascination, wondering how he could be so silent. It was similar to her own silence when she was stalking animals or monsters, but her stance always shifted to accommodate the need for stealth. Idly, she mused that maybe he didn't always move so silently, and he only did it now to impress them.

Lance kept a wary eye on the streets around them. Right now, he didn't trust this Whisper guy any more than he had trusted Matias. It was quite possible the master thief was leading them to an ambush. He had said that he wouldn't kill them, but it was always possible that he planned to rob them. The whole seedy town seemed big on theft and the gunner mused that it was likely home to some sort of thieves' guild. Sath rumbled uncomfortable on his shoulder, orange eyes fixed on the Whisper. Lance nodded ever so slightly and raised a hand up to comfort the small dragon.

Natalie walked beside Matt, sticking close to the swordsman as they wound down seemingly endless alleyways. For a moment, she wondered if they would have a hard time finding their way out again. She certainly had no idea which ways to take to get back out, though she had tried to keep track; after the fifth three-way split, she'd given up. The only factor keeping her from truly worrying about being lost was Triff. The mage had full faith that her dog could lead them out again by following a scent trail. Now she was worried about whether the Whisper was leading them to some abandoned warehouse.

The mage glanced at Matt who looked as unconcerned as ever. The swordsman followed the Whisper with complete confidence in his steps. Strangely, though, his eyes constantly drifted to the rooftops of the houses on the left side of the street. Natalie frowned slightly and followed his glances. There was never anything there when she looked, but Matt had clearly spotted something. Whatever it was, he didn't seem to think it was a problem, so Natalie let it go. Her attention was drawn back to the Whisper when he stopped in front of a nondescript door in the alley.

"Here we are," the Whisper announced. He glanced back and added, "I must insist that all weapons be kept sheathed or on your back at all times. Several of my followers are quite jumpy, and we wouldn't want any accidents."

Lance frowned and asked, "How many are in there right now?"

The Whisper waved a hand, "Likely only one or two at this hour. The others will be out, ah… _relieving_ the patrons of future drinks."

Anna snorted, "Stealing their money, you mean?"

"Are you insinuating that we should leave them to drink their lives away?" the Whisper said with a hint of amusement. "Now then, please follow me." He opened the door and waved them in ahead of him.

Matt spoke up in a mild voice, "I have a question about the person who's been following us on the roofs."

Lance and Anna started and turned their eyes to look up. Natalie frowned, knowing he'd been watching something, but hadn't seen anything herself. The Whisper stilled in what seemed to be surprise at the catch. He let out a light chuckle and turned to Matt.

"Very good spot, I was sure no one had noticed him," the thief said.

Matt cracked a grin, "I might not have, but he's carrying a blade and it caught the moonlight a few streets back." His voice took on a hard edge of warning as he said, "I hope you aren't planning to assassinate us. That will end badly for you."

The Whisper shook his head in exasperation, "Foolish child. I specifically told him to be careful of that. No, he isn't planning to assassinate you. It was a training mission to test his abilities. To make them consider small details, such as light reflected off of a blade, they are required to carry their arms and other tools." The man tilted his head to look up and added, "Clearly, he didn't keep that in mind. Still, he is young, so it is to be expected."

Matt nodded, "I didn't really think he looked about to attack us; his stance is too relaxed."

With that, the swordsman walked into the building. Natalie followed him inside, Lance and Anna both raised their eyebrows at the Whisper, clearly wanting him to go first. The man chuckled and walked inside. Anna went next and Lance followed last, shutting the door behind him. The four gazed around the sizeable room they stood in.

The space had been comfortably furnished, though it had been well-used. Worn furniture was scattered about the room. An equally worn carpet stretched across the floor. A hall to the right had a soft murmur of voices coming down it. The Whisper led them through the room to a narrow, wooden staircase leading to a locked door. He produced a key, opened the lock, and pushed the door open. He gestured for the others to come inside. The door led to a small but well-furnished office. There were no windows, but a small glass orb lit the space with a soft orange glow. The Whisper turned to face them and finally lowered his hood, much to his guests' surprise.

The face revealed to them was clean shaven and tan. He had long, black hair pulled into a loose tail at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a strange gold with red around the pupils. His face was currently pulled into a smirk at their surprise. He waved them too several wooden chairs in front of a desk and sat down in the large one behind it. Once they were seated, the Whisper spoke.

"You may call me the Whisper, as many of the people of Stonecroft and the rest of Garthram do," the Whisper began. His eyes turned to each of them in turn. "You are Matt, currently amnesiac, and a swordsman apparently of considerable talent. You are Natalie, a highly talented mage, currently well-known for your healing specifically. You are Anna, considered a rebel by much of Garthram, and are a ranger of high quality." The man's eyes turned to Lance and a small light of amusement lit them, "Shall I call you Lance the gunner, or Sath, the demon god of Swynhill, lord of smoke, fire, and chaos?"

Lance's face cracked into a smirk of amusement, "My stint as a god is over, so Lance will do. Sath is the name of my dragon here." Sath chirped a greeting.

The Whisper's amusement seemed to increase, "A dragon is a mighty and fitting creature to be considered Sath. And of course we have Triff, the loyal and intelligent border collie. Of course, none of the humans in your group are from Garthram. No, you are from another world entirely, sent here by chance, or fate."

The six guests looked suitably impressed. They were unsure of how the Whisper had gotten his info, but it was highly accurate. Sath in particular looked pleased at the man's praise, though he still refused to leave Lance's shoulder. Lance judged the man in front of them to be trusty worthy enough, if highly dangerous. Something seemed off about the Whisper, but the gunner couldn't quite put his finger on it. Still, Lance could tell by speaking with the man that he was unlikely to go back on his word. No, the man wanted something from them, and did not consider them a threat and wouldn't kill them. The gunner wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Finally, he leaned forwards.

"So what can you tell us?" Lance asked expectantly.

The Whisper cocked his head, "Information for free? That's not how this goes. Thieving is a business like any other, after all."

Anna rolled her eyes and asked in a resigned voice, "How much?"

"It has come to my attention that you four have come into possession of an artifact that I have been seeking for some time on behalf of my colleague," the Whisper said. "I will take that as payment for answers. If you will agree to help me with another problem, I will grant your group exclusive contact with any members or halls of my guild that you may happen to come across."

Natalie looked confused, "Artifact? I don't remember getting any artifact."

Lance turned to look at Matt as he said, "That silver rod you pulled off the tortoise, maybe?"

Matt withdrew the item and held it out, "Is this it?"

The Whisper took the item with a reverent expression, "Yes, this is it. The tortoise you slew was an ancient creature called the Garlan. It only surfaces once every twenty years or so to feed for a few days, and then it retreats underground to slumber. Unfortunately, it somehow changes where it rises before it awakens, making it incredibly difficult to track." He slipped the rod away in a pouch under his cloak then turned his gold eyes back on the party, "Now, what would you like to know first?"

Anna leaned forwards, "The most important thing to us is if you know of any portals that might send us home."

The Whisper nodded, "I have not seen it myself, but I have heard rumors that a strange orb of pure mana appeared in the crypt beneath the king's castle. A man touched the orb and vanished; he has not been seen since. The king fears a sorcerer plots his assassination, and has begun rounding up any and all magic users for execution." His eyes turned to Natalie and he added, "Healers are being included in this gather, so your cover will not protect you. However, the people will likely continue to aid you, as you have won much love from them."

Natalie nodded her understanding, "I see, thank you for the warning." She glanced at the others and asked, "What can you tell us corrupt guardsmen? We were sent here to find and stop them."

"At one point, there was such a guard here," the Whisper admitted. His face spread in a sly smile as he added, "However, he was… _convinced_ to retire early. He was prone to nervous breakdowns, and babbled of demons speaking in his head; completely ineffective, even at extortion."

Matt chuckled, "And I'm sure you had nothing to do with that."

The Whisper's face was a perfect mask of innocence, "Of course not; though it likely didn't help that my guild spread the rumors further than they might have otherwise reached."

Lance was also smirking, but his face soon settled back to business. "What do the people think of Matias?" he asked.

"They adore him," the Whisper said in a level voice. "He rounds up the corrupt men, and pays reparations for the damages they caused—from his own pocket, no less."

Anna frowned, "Where does he get that kind of money?"

"There are a couple of ideas floating around, depending on who you speak to. One says it comes from his family vault. The other says he merely pays back with the gold and supplies stolen from the people by the corrupt guards," the Whisper replied. "Personally, I believe the second is far more likely, but we have no proof to that end."

"Why are you trying to find proof for that?" Anna asked.

"That is not information I will share with you," the Whisper said smoothly. "If you complete my errand, perhaps I will tell you, but for now, you are not trustworthy enough." He raised a brow at Anna's grumbling and said mildly, "You report to Matias. I cannot trust that you would not bring him the information, and you cannot convince me otherwise as of right now."

Lance nodded and asked, "What do you need us to do before you will trust us?"

The Whisper smiled, "Likely, I will never trust you. Trust is a risky thing, after all, and rarely pays off well enough to be worth it. You can convince me of your silence with a simple task, however. Just west of here, past the mine outside, there is a small forest called Shadow Grove. Inside the trees there is a cave where a monster has taken up residence, and my men refuse to fight it. Apparently, moving skulls with magic blades are too disturbing to fight. If you will defeat the monster there and bring back proof of your victory, I will be convinced enough to give you contact with the guild."

"What's so important about Shadow Grove?" Matt asked.

"Nothing," the Whisper replied. "I believe the monster to be a spy, and do not wish it to stay there any longer. It is too close to home for it to be ignored. So will you do this?"

Lance glanced at the others, who all nodded. "We'll do it," the gunner said. "How do we contact you once the threat has been taken care of?"

"I will find you, don't worry," the Whisper said. "You may borrow a room upstairs for the night, and set out tomorrow."

A moment later, and a knock sounded on the door. The whisper raised his voice for whoever was there to enter. The door swung open to reveal a stocky man wearing non-descript armor with a sword at his hip and a shield across his back. His gray eyes swept across the four adventurers curiously, but his gaze soon settled on the Whisper. Nothing was said, but the master thief seemed to know what the man was here for. He rose to his feet and waved the four out of the room. Matt stood and walked out with the others close behind him. The door to the Whisper's office clicked shut, leaving them to find their room by themselves.

"Do we trust him?" Natalie asked quietly once they had gathered in the front room. Triff whined something, and the mage's eyes shot to her, "He's not normal? What do you mean by that?"

Lance nodded thoughtfully, "I got the same feeling. I don't think the Whisper is human at all. Not sure what he is instead, but his eyes, his motions, something about how he holds himself, his way of simply knowing—it's all too strange." He shrugged the thought off and added, "I think he'll honor his word, though. Whatever he's doing here, profit is a major motivator for him, and we could bring him a lot of profit. Besides, he's our best bet for getting through this mess. Never doubt a true thief's connections and capabilities."

Anna nodded, "Okay, so we go for Shadow Grove, kill another monster, and report back?"

"After some sleep," Natalie said with a yawn. "Speaking of, where is our room?"

Matt shrugged, "He didn't say, other than upstairs. Maybe someone else here can help us."

The four made their way down the hall where they had heard, and could still hear voices. They rounded a corner to find themselves in a small kitchen space. A cook fire crackled in the corner with an empty spit set over it. Two men in leather armor sat at a low table, polishing an assortment of knives, speaking quietly. Their voices died out completely as soon as the group entered. One man looked over the second's head, causing his companion to turn around. Their faces were identical with brown eyes, tanned skin, and shaggy brown hair. Both wore matching suspicious scowls, and their hands inched for their weaponry.

Matt stepped forward with an affable smile and plunked down in a chair near them. Natalie smacked a palm to her face and grumbled at his brash approach. Anna released a sigh and exchanged a look with Lance, who rolled his eyes. The two thieves glared at Matt, who merely smiled back, completely unbothered by their looks. He tilted his head as they grabbed their daggers and, unseen to his friends, a dangerous light lit his eyes. Slowly, the pair lowered their weapons again, and the swordsman nodded.

"So how do I get some food here?" Matt asked them.

The two men exchanged bewildered looks. This blond had just waltzed in, plopped down beside them, silently promised pain if they attacked him, and now wanted their food. Behind Matt, his friends were equally surprised. They'd been sure they would have to grab the swordsman and apologize for his actions. Now, it looked like he had unsettled the two thieves merely by sitting there. Finally, one of the men shrugged and nodded.

"There's some dried stuff in the cabinet next to the archer chick's head. Help yourself," he said in a gruff voice.

Matt smiled and glanced back at Anna. In that brief moment, the second man swung his blade at his neck. There was a flash of motion, a crash of a bench falling, and then the attacker was flat on the ground with Matt pinning him and twisting his arm around. The swordsman had a hard look on his face as he took the blade and pointed it at the second man. The man dropped his weapon and raised his hands. Matt nodded as he stood off the person he'd flipped and pinned, and handed the thief's dagger back to him when he sat up. The man looked stunned at the return of his weapon, and made no move to attack again.

"Going to try that again?" Matt asked lightly.

The man sheathed his blade and rubbed his shoulder with a wry smile. "Not if you'll react like that again," he said ruefully.

Matt grinned, "It won't be exactly like that, but I can guarantee you won't like what changes." He held his hand out, "My name's Matt, what's yours?"

The two men burst out laughing. Lance smirked as he realized Matt had won an in with his actions. Anna and Natalie exchanged glances and sighed, both thinking men made absolutely no sense. The two thieves shook Matt's hand and introduced themselves as Ethan and Nathan, identical twins. The men waved all of them to sit down. Soon, all had exchanged names and were seated at the long wooden table with plates of dried meat and bread, and tin cups of water.

"So what brings you four to the Echoes?" Nathan asked.

Natalie tilted her head, "The Echoes? Is that your guild name?"

Ethan nodded, "Yeah, top thieves' guild in Garthram. I'm surprised you haven't heard of us."

Anna shrugged, "We're new here. We came looking for answers, and we'll be off tomorrow on an errand for the Whisper."

Lance glanced between the two men, "We're going to deal with some kind of possessed skull. What can you tell us about it?"

Nathan shuddered and held his hands in front of him, about two feet apart. "It's a nasty thing about this big around with skulls and fangs as long as my hand. It showed up about a month and a half ago and the village past Shadow Grove put a bounty on it. We tried to collect it, but the thing skitters around and wields a magic sword. The blade floats around it, slashing at anything that comes close. It disarmed all of us, and nearly took my brother's hand off."

Ethan elbowed him, "That was _your_ hand, dummy."

"Was not, I heard Peter call your name," Nathan refuted.

"Only because he can't tell us apart," Ethan reminded him hotly. "I distinctly remember hearing you wailing like a newborn."

"Are you sure _you_ can't tell us apart too?" Nathan asked smugly.

Lance arched a brow at the argument. "Shouldn't one of you have a mark from the wound?" he asked mildly. "That would clear the problem up."

Both men looked to him and said at the same time with matching grins, "We both have identical scars there."

"We match wounds," Nathan explained.

"It keeps people from telling us apart," Ethan finished.

Anna held her head, "So why are you arguing about who got the wound, if you both got an identical one?"

Both men paused and looked at each other.

Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "She has a point, Ethan."

"She does at that, Nathan," Nathan replied with a grin.

Matt snorted, "Please don't make remembering you two any harder on us. Don't switch names."

Both men started and asked, "How'd you know?"

The swordsman grinned, "Ethan is still favoring the arm I twisted."

Ethan grinned, "True. We'll get you next time, though."

Lance rolled his eyes, "Is there any point to confusing us?"

"Aside from it being amusing?" Nathan asked with a smirk.

Ethan went on, "It's useful for confusing guards. They think they have one of us locked up, or cornered, and then the other pops out to scare the living daylights out of them. They start arguing about who slacked in the watch, or whether they need to lay off the ale, or start warding demons. In the mayhem, someone slips in and rescues the idiot who got caught."

"Which is normally Ethan," Nathan chuckled. His brother kicked him under the table, which he took with a good-natured grin. "It's also useful for hit and run thefts. They don't know who took the goods and can't chase both at once."

Lance nodded, "Makes sense. Anyway, we were told to borrow a room upstairs for the night. Can one of you point the way?"

"Sure, follow me," Nathan said.

The thief heaved himself up, and led the way down a different hall to a flight of stairs. On the second floor at the end of the hall was the room they told the party was free. Matt nodded to them with a grin and they clapped his shoulder before leaving. The swordsman ducked into the room, followed by his friends. There were two beds and a dresser as furniture, a single window on the far wall was the sole source of light in the room. Since it was nighttime, Natalie ignited a small ball of fire for light. Lance located a small lantern in the corner and held it up. Soon the room was lit by the lantern and the four sat on the beds.

"I miss electricity," Lance sighed.

Natalie grinned, "Forced to live like a barbarian."

Anna sighed, "Greenwood doesn't use much electricity, but I have to say I do love electric lighting."

Matt tilted his head, "Tell me about Greenwood."

The ranger looked startled for a moment before she remembered Matt couldn't remember much. "It's a small village in the middle of Ashwood Forest. Most of the villagers are farmers, but there are a few hunters, too," Anna said with a fond smile. She cocked her head when Matt nodded, "Do you remember it at all?"

"Kind of," Matt said slowly. "There's… a big stump with a glowing green rock surrounded by torches, right?"

Anna's eyes widened and she exchanged an excited glance with Natalie and Lance. "Yes! That's the altar for the Greenwood jewel," she said with a smile. "Do you remember anything else?"

Matt's eyes were closed in concentration, "I remember… Lance didn't want to go to Greenwood because of the trees? Natalie didn't want to go to steal stuff, but I think I insisted because the shop had a lot of gems," He paused, brow furrowed. His eyes snapped open. "We looted the store, but you caught up to us. I remember you caught me first and…" he trailed off as the memory grew indistinct.

Natalie filled in quietly, "Anna shot you a bunch of times."

"You told me that at Harold's house," Matt agreed. "I've been trying to think of why I didn't turn and fight her or just run away from her… I'm worried that I'm just remembering what you told me as a story, and not actually remembering the memory." He thought for a moment, and then said with an excited voice, "Right, I was carrying a lot of stuff, so I thought I could take a hit or two and get away."

Lance chuckled, "And then you found out Anna is really good at archery."

Matt grinned sheepishly and added, "I seem to recall a lot of arrows stuck in me."

"Yeah… I went a little overkill," Anna admitted. "I figured you would be harder to stop than you were."

The swordsman's eyes were bright, "And then you roped me into finding the others, right?" He grinned broadly when the others nodded. That was the longest consecutive memory he could recollect. It gave him a great hope that he could remember everything. Even now as he thought of his first meeting with Anna, other memories started to trickle back, though they were a disjointed, out of order mess.

Lance grinned at the bright look on Matt's face. "And on that positive note, let's get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow," he said to the others.

Matt nodded distractedly, mind still whirling. He tugged his boots off and leaned his sword against the side of the bed within easy reach. He flopped back on the bed and listened to the others settling down. They murmured good-nights to each other and one by one the others fell asleep. Matt smiled; for once he didn't feel like he was in a group of friendly strangers. Now that he had a solid memory, and several not as solid ones, he really felt and believed that the other three were friends.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _Made some progress on the animesia! Hooray! I love twin characters in stories; they almost always make me laugh. xD Nathan and Ethan will definitely be back later. Next up, a hunt for an evil demon skull with a magic sword!_


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N:_** _It's been awhile since I've posted here, but I'm back! Enjoy the latest chapter!_

* * *

"For the last time, Anna: I did not take your stupid necklace," Lance snapped.

Anna snorted, "Yeah, sure, Mr. Let's-Rob-The-Store."

"Hey, you enjoyed doing that!" Lance protested.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're a thief," Anna shot back.

The argument had been going on for some time; ever since they'd woken up that morning, in fact. Anna was certain that Lance had once again taken one of her items just to bug her, while Lance insisted he'd had nothing to do with her missing necklace. Natalie and Matt walked a little ways ahead of them, sighing as they listened to the squabbling pair rehash their argument for the hundredth time.

Finally, Matt said in a mild but impatient voice, "Anna, has it occurred to you that we slept at the thieves' guild hideout?"

Anna grumbled, "I know where we slept, thanks. So what?"

Natalie rolled her eyes as she replied, "So maybe you shouldn't have left your jewelry sitting out on the side table for a trained thief to snatch. I'm sure one of the guild members riffled through our stuff last night, saw your necklace, and swiped it."

Anna opened her mouth to argue her point, thought about what Natalie had said, and shut her mouth again. She deflated and admitted, "That hadn't actually occurred to me… And is probably true…"

"Thank you! Finally, someone with sense explains the obvious," Lance sighed with relief.

Anna ducked her head and mumbled, "Sorry, Lance."

The gunner grunted his acceptance and turned his attention to the copse of trees coming into sight up ahead. He arched a brow at the twisting trunks of the trees and the peak of a large hill that could just be seen in the center. The area was the Shadow Grove they were headed for. Lance readied his weaponry and saw the other three do the same. They had little information to work on and had decided that opening up with maximum firepower was probably their best bet.

The party stepped into the trees and began forcing their way through the overgrowth. Matt hacked at vines across their path with Heaven's Gate. Anna had taken to scanning the ground for tracks. Lance and Natalie kept their eyes on the trees surrounding them. Triff had her nose to the ground, searching for scents while Sath glided from tree branch to tree branch overhead. Every now and then they came across the bones of dead monsters, but never anything alive.

The small dragon darted out of sight and there were a series of rustles and then a dead snake hit the ground with a bite mark going straight through it just below the head. It was about two feet long, and by the shape of its face and its bright coloring, they knew it was poisonous. Sath chirped when Lance praised him and then took off into the trees once more.

"Jeez, how does anything get through this?" Matt muttered as he slashed another batch of vines out of the way.

Lance grunted, "This is why I hate nature. It stands around, being in your way, and often smells bad."

Anna rolled her eyes with a snort. "Nature has good points, too, you know."

"Name me one thing I might like about nature, then," Lance sarcastically requested.

"It's all about big things killing and eating little things?" Anna suggested with a smile in her voice.

Lance considered that thought and nodded, "Fair enough, but I still hate plants."

"You need plants to have life, and you like living, right?" Anna countered with an arched brow. She grinned when Lance grunted, and was forced to concede that, yes, he liked living.

Finally, they broke out of the trees at the foot of the hill. A dark cave entrance yawned before them. Stalactites and stalagmites jutted out like fangs around a dark maw, and an echoing skittering came from deep within the cave. Matt eyed the entrance for a long moment, prompting Natalie to ask what was wrong.

"He's probably scared," Lance said with a smirk.

Matt shot him a flat look and corrected, "Actually, I was thinking it looks like the entrance to the Crystal Caverns."

Natalie started, and then beamed as she asked, "You can remember that?"

Matt nodded with a grin, but Anna broke in to say, "We can talk about it after we kill this stupid skull."

The party nodded and stepped into the cave. Triff's ears went straight up and she let out a short bark. The skittering faltered before starting up again with a strange, warbling yowl. Everyone readied their weapons as a massive spiked skull burst into view, headed straight for them. It had a row of spines going down the center of it, and chipped fangs lined the mouth. The eyes sockets were blank and angled in a glare. A short sword flashed into appearance, and Natalie yelped and dove to the side as it slashed past her.

Anna nocked an arrow against her Emerald Cyclone and sent it off at the skull, but cursed when it was deflected off the curved surface. Her curse cut off as a powerful blast of wind appeared and knocked the skull away and into a wall with a loud clatter. The monster let out a strange hissing yelp as it landed upside down before rocking and righting itself. In that flash of motion as it turned over, Lance spotted a flash of familiar, blue fur.

"Oh, you are kidding me," Lance muttered, lowering his weapon.

Matt shot him a glance, "What's up?"

Natalie glanced over as well and cocked her head when she saw an irritated gleam in Lance's eyes.

"It's the furball," Lance said in a flat voice. He turned his head to Sath and ordered, "Go over there and pin that sword." The dragon chirped an understanding, and arrowed for the weapon, snatching the hilt with his front claws, and beating his wings to maintain balance as he restrain it.

Anna's eyes were wide as she asked, "It's NoLegs?"

Matt frowned, "NoLegs the… cat?"

The skull stopped bouncing and the short sword fell limp as it finally heard their voices. Sath sat down on the weapon and craned his neck to peer into the skull. He squeaked a question and got a muffled meow as an answer. Natalie translated that the cat had gotten himself trapped and needed help to get loose. Triff bounded forwards with a cheerful bark to sniff the skull. Instantly, there was a hiss and Sath took off as the short sword came up to stab threateningly at the dog.

"Triff, over here, girl," Natalie called. The dog obediently turned and bounded over to sit at the mage's feet.

Matt stepped forwards and looked down at the skull. He cocked his head and bent down to lift up the skull. He turned it over to see a blue tail sticking out and grinned as he turned it back over to see two blue eyes peering out of the mouth at him. He had no idea what the cat had done to get himself stuck in a skull, but the whole idea was kind of funny. The swordsman turned back to the others and asked, "So how do we get him loose?"

"Smash the skull? I bet I could do it easily," Lance suggested with a smirk.

Natalie snorted, "I know you're only volunteering in hopes of finally doing the poor cat in." She turned to Matt and said, "He's right that smashing it would be best, though. Hear that NoLegs? We're going to smash the skull, so don't move."

The cat gave a muffled meowed in response and Matt set the skull back on the ground and knelt next to it. He raised Heaven's Gate and brought the hilt down sharply on the center of the skull. Cracks spider webbed across the bone, but it didn't shatter. Matt raised his weapon again and brought it down, carefully controlling his strength to keep from hitting the cat stuck inside.

The skull finally shattered and a bedraggled, furry head poked up with a bright meow. NoLegs squirmed out of the skull and tumbled to the floor. Instantly, the cat bounced over to Matt and rubbed against his knee, purring. Matt grinned and reached a hand down to pet the cat. He frowned as he eyed the cat's body and realized why he was called NoLegs.

Natalie stepped forwards, waving at Triff to stay where she was. The mage bent down to pet NoLegs and asked, "So how'd you get here, NoLegs, and why not just teleport to Matt?" She listened to the cat meow an explanation and snorted out a laugh when he finished. She turned to Lance and said, "Looks like you're not the only one people thought was a demon."

"I can believe the furball is a demon," Lance grunted with a smirk.

Natalie rolled her eyes and added, "And apparently his summon link with Matt is broken now. I don't know if that's because we're in another world or because of Matt's amnesia though."

Anna tilted her head in thought, "So now what? Bring him to the Whisper and explain that it was all just a misunderstanding? NoLegs clearly isn't a demon summoned to spy on anyone."

"I guess so? We can hardly kill NoLegs, after all," Matt said, standing up with NoLegs balancing on his shoulder, purring.

Lance snorted, "I wouldn't mind, but I doubt I'll change you guys' minds. Let's go."

The gunner turned and headed for the entrance of the cave. Sath swooped after him and settled on his shoulder once again. The rest of the party filed after them. Triff kept straying towards Matt and NoLegs, earning her a hiss from the cat each time she got too close. Finally, Natalie ordered Triff to heel and the dog fell into step beside her. The mage reached down to rub her dog's head, promising to talk with NoLegs about letting her near him.

The party was retracing their steps through the forest when Matt suddenly asked, "So, uh, do all cats from our world not have legs?"

Anna glanced back at him with a nod, "Yeah, all cats got their legs removed when they lost Godcat's favor."

Matt frowned in confusion, "But I've seen cats with legs, so it can't be all of them."

"Cats with legs? Now there's a weird thought," Lance snorted.

"I think having cats _without_ legs is weird," Matt replied, earning him a disgruntled meow from NoLegs. Matt grinned and corrected, "Aside from you, of course." He reached a hand up to ruffle the cat's fur when he meowed.

Just as they broke out of the trees, they saw a group of armored soldiers headed towards them. Matt's arm dropped and he frowned in confusion at them before shooting a look over his shoulder at the rest of the team. Lance eyed the approaching men with a contemplative frown and shrugged. The gunner gestured for Natalie and Anna to step back and felt Sath land on his shoulder. He stepped forwards to stand next to Matt just as the knights clattered to a halt in front of them.

"Hail, we have come on order of Sir Matias to see if you have made any progress on the issue in Stonecroft," the leader of the squad said.

Lance's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and he exchanged a look with Matt, who shrugged. "No, we have no new information, yet," Lance replied. He heard Anna give a small confused sound from behind him, but didn't turn to look at her. They had some information, certainly, but something was off here.

The knight shifted his weight and asked, "None? Then what are you doing out here?"

Lance rolled his eyes, and smoothly lied, "Looking for clues, what else? You can tell Matias that we will send him any information as soon as we have some."

The knight seemed taken aback, but nodded, and tapped his fist to his chest. He turned back to his men and ordered them to move out. Lance watched them go with a silent snort. Natalie waited until the company of knights was out of earshot before stepping up to look at Lance.

"We have information," Natalie said in confusion.

Lance shook his head, "Those weren't Matias' knights."

Anna started and asked, "What? How do you know?"

"How the hell would he know we're out here? We left Stonecroft without telling anyone aside from Nathan, Ethan, and the Whisper where we were going," Lance replied, turning to head back to Stonecroft.

Matt fell into step next to him, and mildly said, "That doesn't mean they're not his knights, you know. He could just have squads looking for us."

Lance shrugged, "True, but that's a waste of resources. I doubt Matias would send, six fully-armored men out here just for a status report. Besides, he's the one who told us to send the information in via messenger pigeon, remember?"

Natalie frowned, "Let's assume they aren't his knights, who's were they, then?"

"Probably the Whisper's," Lance replied with a shrug. "He's testing our loyalty to Matias, or maybe our loyalty to him. Either way, it was a test."

Anna looked skeptical still, "And if those were actually Matias' men?"

Lance shot her a smirk, "Then I just lied to our employer. Whoops. It's not like Matias would know one way or the other, though, so whatever."

Anna rolled her eyes, but said nothing else. The rest of the journey back to Stonecroft was made in silence. The sun was setting when they entered the city again. Once again, the animals became nervous, NoLegs included. The cat sniffed the air uneasily and huddled closer to Matt's head, while Triff pressed against Natalie's side, and Sath curled around Lance's neck, his eyes fixed on their guide. Anna's hand moved to hover next to her Adventure Pouch, just in case another thief tried to take it again.

A hooded figure greeted them at the entrance and silently motioned for them to follow him. The party knew by his height and gait that it was not the Whisper. Still, they followed the obvious thief through the streets. The party found themselves led to a dead-end alley, and each of them tensed. The cloaked thief they were following suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving only a pile of clothes behind.

Lance cursed and drew his gunblade, his eyes scanning the roof tops around the alley. "This just smells of trap," he muttered uneasily.

"As it should," the Whisper's voice suddenly said, cold and hard. "I sent you to destroy the spy, not bring it back here." A smoky cloud billowed across the dirt ground of the alley.

Matt started and his eyes shot to the cat on his shoulder, "NoLegs? He's our friend, not a spy! He just got stuck in a skull when we all ended up here."

The smoke seemed to recoil back. The Whisper's voice spoke again, not as angry, "Is he, now?"

Anna's eyes darted around, trying to track where the master thief was hiding. She jumped when the man seemed to simply appear in front of them, his face once again covered by a hood. Natalie let out a small sound of surprise. Matt drew Heaven's Gate and stepped between the party and the Whisper.

"Lower your blades, I'd rather not have to kill you all," the Whisper said his tone once again smooth.

Matt glared at him, and didn't lower his weapon, "After you admit to luring us here to kill us? I don't think so." He spared half a glance at NoLegs when the cat mewed a question.

Natalie sucked in a sharp breath, "He's a _what_?"

Anna glanced at the mage, "What's up?"

The Whisper shifted threateningly, "Do not speak. It is unwise to throw information about where any could possibly hear you. We will speak at the Guild hall." He eyed the weapons still raised against him and let out a sigh, "Oh, do lower the weapons. They won't help you against me, anyway, and it would be a problem if my followers thought you were threatening me."

Lance lowered his gunblade watching the Whisper carefully, "Fine, let's go. Matt, put Heaven's Gate away."

"Heaven's Gate?" Matt repeated.

"Your sword," Lance explained impatiently. He nodded when Matt sheathed the weapon.

The master thief bowed and swept past the party. He swiftly led the way down the streets and they soon found themselves back in the Echoes guild hall. A number of thieves looked up and watched the procession through the rom with interest, though no one said anything. One of the identical twins was there and he gave a brief wave to the party that Matt returned with a nod as they filed past. It was not until they had returned to the Whispers office that anyone spoke, however.

"So, you have cleared out Shadow's Grove as promised, and you did not reveal the information I gave you last time," the Whisper said as he settled down at his desk and shook his hood down.

Lance arched a brow, "So those were your knights?"

The Whisper nodded, "I thought you might have grasped that. I needed to see if you followed Matias' orders out of blind loyalty. Clearly, you do not, however. As such, I will fulfill my end of our bargain."

Natalie frowned as she suddenly asked, "Are you a god?"

The rest of the party jerked back from her in surprise, though their eyes soon darted back to the Whisper. The master thief had his golden eyes fixed on the mage, considering her question. His eyes drifted over to NoLegs and his features displayed a flicker of irritation. Finally, he blew out a near-silent sigh and nodded.

"The cat spoke truly," the Whisper said. He stood up, and his eyes flickered with light, "Repeat that information anywhere outside of this room, and I promise it will be the last mistake you ever make. Trust me when I say you are not safe from me anywhere."

Matt shrugged, "I don't particularly care if you're a god or not." He met the Whisper's glare with one of his own as he said in a cold voice, "Do not threaten my friends."

Lance's hand slammed down on Matt's shoulder and he tugged the swordsman back with a warning look. "Let's not make our situation here any worse, got it? I don't want to have to fight _another_ god; especially since were stuck here, and he's the only one with information to get back," he snapped. His eyes shifted over to the Whisper who watched them with narrow eyes, "So you're a god. Do we get to know your real name, or is that still off limits?"

The Whisper's face cracked in an amused smirk, "Your kind knows me as Sath, though I much prefer the Whisper."

Anna choked and stared at him, "Wait, the same Sath from Swynhill, the lord of smoke fire and chaos?"

"The very same," the Whisper agreed with a nod. His eyes shifted back to Lance who had paled, "You did a fine job terrifying my followers there."

Lance swallowed and nodded, "Uh, you're welcome?" Sath the dragon squeaked his own response.

Natalie arched a brow and asked, "So why's a god running a thieves guild?"

"Amusement," was the Whisper's reply. He lazily waved a hand in the air and elaborated, "It is far more entertaining to walk among the mortals than it is to simply watch and judge them from afar. Truly, Godcat would have done far better had she walked among her people." He glanced at NoLegs when the cat mewed indignantly, "I suggest you remain silent, cat. Your creator cannot help you here."

Lance snorted when NoLegs shrank back against Matt, "Finally, someone is on my side about the furball. Now then, I have a few questions."

"I likely have a few answers," the Whisper replied smoothly, sitting down again. He gestured to the gunner, "Ask away."

"What's the deal with Matias?" the gunner asked. "I don't trust him, regardless of the friendly front he gave us."

The Whisper shrugged, "A wise decision. Matias lusts for the throne, of course, though there is not solid evidence of the fact. My colleague has more issue with him than I do. Supposedly, he is behind the raids on the small hamlets of Garthram, and is even rumored to have poisoned the previous king. Proving such allegations, however, is difficult and bringing them to light and consideration even more so."

"Why?" Anna asked with a frown.

"The people adore him, of course," the Whisper replied. "It is difficult to rouse hatred of a man who is seen to be defending their homes and livelihood. On top of that, he is in favor with the young king, who holds him in the upmost regard. It is an obvious plot, but he covers his trail well."

Natalie frowned, "So I guess we'll just leave him as is, then? I don't particularly want to get any more involved than we already are."

Matt glanced at her, "I'd like to, though. He's draining the people. If nothing else, I want to repay the beating I took." He returned his gaze to the Whisper, "Is there any way to reveal his plot?"

The Whisper smiled, "Your group is in a unique position to force his hand. Two of you have much sway with the people of Garthram. If you can reveal solid evidence of Matias' crimes, others will be likely to listen to you. Once you have the information and sway you need, seek out my colleague. She can help you enter the capital to approach the king."

Lance nodded, "Okay. How do we contact them?"

"Oh, it is not difficult, simply enter the Helfrond Woods; she will find you," the Whisper replied.

Anna paled, "The Helfrond Woods? That's where the Mistclaw lurks, though."

"Is that what she goes by these days?" the Whisper asked in an amused tone. He shook the thought off and nodded, "I will send word to tell her not attack or teleport you."

Matt nodded, "Okay then. So how do we get the information we need?"

The Whisper spread his hands, "He veils his movements to any scrying, so you will have to figure that out on your own. The other guild halls may gain information or have leads you can follow, but past that, I cannot help you."

Lance shrugged, "So how do we find the other guild halls? What cities are they in?"

"We have informants in nearly every town, but for guild halls: Willowdale, the capital city, Larrepool, Dawnderan, and here in Stonecroft each have a hall. The appearance of the halls differs from city to city, as do the thieves who run them, but you can find each by locating a specific sculpture or carving depicting a circle encased by a crescent moon. Someone from the hall will be there and will lead you to the hall if you repeat the phrase 'It's quiet here today' after they say it."

"Like an echo," Natalie realized. She glanced at the rest of the party, "Well, I guess we're roped up in this now. We can head out tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Lance agreed. He glanced at the Whisper, "We can borrow that same room, right?"

"Of course," the Whisper replied.

Anna planted her hands on her hips, "And is there any way I can get my necklace back?"

The Whisper's lips quirked in a smile, "I suppose if you… found it, yes."

The ranger rolled her eyes, "Like someone ' _found_ ' it last night?"

"Yes," the Whisper agreed, seeming even more amused as he waved them off.

Anna grumbled all the way to their room. Matt, Lance, and Natalie listened with amused exasperation and watched her eye all of the thieves as they passed by to their room. The ranger threw herself to sit on one of the mattresses and crossed her arms. Lance rolled his eyes and leaned his weaponry against the bedside table before sitting down on the other bed.

"Anna, just let it go, you can get another necklace," Matt sighed.

Anna scowled, "But that one was my favorite. I bet the Whisper knows who took it, too."

Natalie arched a brow, "Probably, but maybe you should have taken better care of it."

Lance nodded, "True. Why don't you set a trap? Leave something else out and we can have one of the animals keep watch during the night. Even if it's a different thief, you can get a little revenge. Sath, can you do that?" The dragon squeaked with a nod.

Anna thoughtfully eyed the dragon, "That works, I guess. Thanks Sath." She set out a small stack of gold on the side table and watched the dragon curl around it. She nodded and turned her attention back to Lance, "So, how do we go about proving Matias is guilty?"

The gunner frowned, "I guess wait for a village to get harassed and then follow his guys back to see who they report to."

"And then what? All we'll have is our own word," Natalie stated with a frown.

"Steal something relevant from wherever they meet?" Matt suggested as he set his sword within easy reach before flopping back on the bed behind Lance. "Or we could catch the underling when they leave."

Anna nodded, "Not a bad plan, actually. Let's do that. We should probably report that the mess here is just common thievery."

"After we've got our proof," Lance agreed. "We can set up a meeting with him and capture him there." He kicked his boots off and flopped back next to Matt, who was already asleep. "For now, though, let's get some sleep."

The two women nodded. Triff settled on the floor at the foot of Natalie's and Anna's bed, while NoLegs leapt up to lie in the crook of Matt's arm. Sath remained curled up on the bedside table around the gold Anna had set out.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _So much plot progress has been made! The thief of Anna's necklace will be revealed next chapter, don't worry. You guys are welcome to take guesses as to who it was! Leave me a review and I'll be back when I've finished the next chapter!_


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N:_** _And after a few months, I have the next chapter up! Holy Godcat, getting through the first part was difficult for me. There are way too many distractions in my life and head. Anyway, enjoy the chapter that you may have thought was never coming!_

* * *

" _Sath_ , you were supposed to be helping me catch a thief!" Anna yelled in frustrated exasperation.

Lance rolled onto his side and pulled a pillow over his head as he muttered, "For Godcat's sake, Anna, save the screaming for after breakfast, at the very least."

Anna gave an angry snort from where she was scowling at Sath. The dragon was curled in exactly the same place as the night before, minus the small stack of gold Anna had set out as bait. The dragon eyed the ranger with one lazy eye before blowing out a puff of smoke and tucking his head under a wing. Anna growled and grabbed the dragon about the middle to haul him up to eye level to glare at. She and the dragon had a long moment of glaring before Sath bit Anna's arm and took off when she let go.

Matt watched the scene with amusement, eyeing Sath as the dragon settled down on the top shelf of a worn bookcase, well out of Anna's reach. Natalie chuckled from where she was still lying in bed as Anna started muttering about target practice. The threat to his dragon got Lance out of bed, and the gunner pressed Anna to sit down. The ranger went begrudgingly, still scowling up at Sath.

"Did anyone come in last night, Sath?" Lance asked in a level tone that belied his irritation.

The dragon squeaked and shook his head, never taking his wary eyes off of Anna.

Anna grunted, "Well clearly _somebody_ did, or the gold would still be there; unless Lance is actually the one taking it."

Matt rolled his eyes, "Let's not go there again, please. Can Triff sniff out Anna's necklace, Natz?"

Natalie glanced at her dog, who let out a whine and shook themselves. The mage shrugged and replied, "Not on something small and metal, she says. I say just give the necklace up for lost, Anna; we can commission a jeweler to make an identical one, if you want."

Anna blew out a long sigh and nodded, "Yeah, I guess. I've had that one for years, though. Still, we can't waste time looking for it." She stood up with a final disgruntled look at Sath before leaving the room for breakfast.

Lance held his arm up for Sath to land on and frowned when the dragon refused to move. "C'mon, Sath, let's go get some food," he said, shaking his arm a little. When the dragon remained stubbornly sitting on top of the shelf, Lance let his arm drop and said, "Don't make me climb up there after you; I'll let Anna do what she wants, if that happens."

NoLegs bounced over from where he was curled on top of Matt's pillow. He jumped from the bed to Lance's shoulder and immediately off that to the top shelf, barely dodging a swat from Lance. There was a brief explosion of noise as Sath hissed at NoLegs, who hissed back and summoned his sword. The dragon made a tactical retreat, dropping off the shelf to Lance's shoulder, squeaking indignantly the whole time. NoLegs meowed smugly, but soon cocked his head and mewed a question, his attention fixed on something on the shelf.

Natalie's eyes widened and she asked in disbelief, "Are you serious?" She burst out in laughter when NoLegs meowed an affirmation.

"What's so funny?" Matt asked, exchanging a baffled look with Lance.

"Sath… he's the one-" Natalie started before cutting off and flopping back on a bed, tears of mirth streaming down her face. A disgruntled nudge from Lance had her sitting up again, and she worked herself under enough control to say, "Anna's necklace and the gold are sitting up on that shelf. I think Sath took them because they were shiny."

There were a few seconds of stunned silence where Lance and Matt's eyes drifted to stare at the Sath on the gunner's shoulder. Matt's mouth twitched and then he burst out in laughter followed closely by Lance. Anna came in to the baffling sight of her friends all shaking from laughter. When she asked what was funny, however, the rest of them merely started laughing harder. Anna arched a brow, but couldn't resist grinning. She had no idea what was so hilarious, but the laughter was infections.

Finally, NoLegs came down from the shelf with Anna's necklace and gold floating in front of him. The ranger's eyes widened as she accepted the previously missing objects. She clasped her golden necklace back around her neck and thanked the cat. Then, her eyes turned to the rest of the team as they wiped their faces off, still grinning.

"So I'll assume my missing stuff has something to do with the laughter," Anna prodded with a wry smile.

Matt nodded, "Yeah: We left the thief in charge of the gold last night. Sath started hoarding shiny objects."

Anna shot an amused glance at the small dragon, who looked very put out about having his treasure reclaimed. She shook her head and mused, "Well, I suppose I should have thought of that sooner. Don't take my stuff, Sath."

Sath gave a low chirp, looking disappointed, but willing to agree. Lance rubbed the dragon's chin with a finger to cheer him up before gathering his gear. The others followed suit and soon they were heading downstairs. The kitchen was empty when they sat down with plates of leftover meat and bread from the thieves' breakfast. Sath morosely ate the bits of meat set out for him, still looking upset with having his treasure taken back. After a few minutes of silence, Anna fished out a very shiny gold coin and slid it across the table for the small dragon.

"Here, you can have this one," the ranger comforted. She smiled as the dragon let out an excited chirp and gather up his gift before flitting to land on Lance's shoulder to show him the coin.

"Very nice," Lance complimented. He mouthed a silent thank you to Anna and let Sath clamber down his arm to deposit the coin in a pocket on his coat. He arched a brow at the dragon and mildly asked, "Is that your new store?"

Sath nodded with a happy warble. He jumped back up to his perch on the gunner's shoulder, and curled around his neck with a content sigh. Lance shook his head fondly as he stuffed the last of his toast in his mouth.

Natalie was already done and rubbing Triff's ears as she waited for the others to finish. She rolled her eyes as NoLegs crept across the table, warily eyeing her dog, but wanting to get petted, too. The Mage patted her lap and said, "Triff isn't going to hurt you, NoLegs."

Triff barked once in affirmation. NoLegs looked unconvinced by the dog's words, but dropped off the table to land in Natalie's lap and settled down with a purr as the mage rubbed her hand down his back. Matt watched the interactions with a smile as various half remembered memories flitted through his head of similar scenes. He shoveled the remains of his breakfast in his mouth and stood up.

"We ready to go?" Matt asked.

Anna nodded, "Yeah, just about."

"Head for the town on the far side of Shadow Grove," the Whisper suddenly said from directly behind the ranger, causing her to whirl around with an arrow in hand to stab him. He'd let her arrow harmlessly slash through his chest, leaving a trail of smoke that reformed into his body. He looked amused at the instinctive reaction and went on, "Please refrain from attacking me."

"Please refrain from sneaking up on me," Anna grumbled, though she looked embarrassed. "Why do you want us to go to that town?"

"Because it has not been hit by Matias' men, yet, and is therefore a good place to see if there are rumors of wrongdoings," the Whisper replied calmly. "It is only a few hours walk further, so you should reach there just past noon. Please be mindful that they are incredibly superstitious, there. You would be well advised to leave the… _cat_ … and Sath out of sight."

"Got it, thanks again for your help," Matt agreed with a nod. "I'm sure you'll know when we're successful."

The Whisper merely nodded, and stepped aside, waving them out. The team filed down the narrow hall and out the door into the alley. Triff took the lead to guide them down the winding alleys and out to the main street. They passed a few people, but were not bothered at all. A pair of hooded figures by the entrance of the town cheerfully told them good luck, and they recognized their voice as Ethan and Nathan. The team waved and then stepped out into the fields of Garthram where a light mist still clung to the grass having not yet been burned away by the sun.

They turned to head towards Shadow Grove, feeling confident and cheerful. NoLegs sat on Natalie's shoulder, still warily keeping an eye on Triff, who walked alongside the mage, but no longer as fearful looking of her. Sath took off of Lance's shoulder to fly overhead. The four human walked in a loose group, keeping an eye on their surroundings, but not really concerned by anything that might be there. On top of being a strong group, they had a wide range of animal senses also keeping watch for foes. Between Triff's nose, Sath's aerial view, and NoLeg's ears, anything would be hard pressed to sneak up on them.

The group walked along the worn track for several hours, facing only a lone bird of prey who'd thought Sath would be a tasty meal. Anna and the dragon swiftly convinced it otherwise with an arrow to its chest and flames to its feathers. The team stopped to eat it for lunch, roasting it over a fire with wood Anna retrieved from Shadow Grove. After lunch, they passed the grove the sun well into the sky by this point. Their loose conversation turned to the town they were approaching and ways they would gather information.

"We can't exactly go in there saying we think Matias is attempting a coup, so we'll need to be careful with how we question people," Lance commented.

Natalie nodded and suggested, "People are usually more willing to talk if you help them with something. Maybe we should do odd jobs while we're there and strike up conversation?"

"That might work, and it will get us some extra cash," Anna agreed. "Of course, the jobs have to be something we're actually able to do. Natalie can certainly do any healing, and I can do a number of handyman type jobs, but Lance and Matt won't be good for much."

"Hey," Matt protested.

"It's true," Lance pointed out in a level voice. "I'd normally be good for mechanical or electrical stuff, but they don't really have that here. You're good at fighting, and maybe can help Anna lift things if she needs to repair something, but other than that, there isn't much for us."

Natalie tilted her head, "Actually, it's pretty common to hire people to go retrieve supplies from the field. You and Matt could do that."

Matt's eyes drifted to a smudge of smoke that appeared on the horizon. They were approaching a small town. NoLegs mewed something that caused Natalie to chuckle and promise he could stay outside with Sath. The cat had told her that was the town that had chased him into Shadow Grove, thinking he was some kind of demon. The team picked up their pace, eager to get the traveling over with. It was nice to stretch their legs, but boring when nothing ever really attacked them and all there was to look at was hills of grass. It would be a nice change to be in town again.

"Well, this place already looks… interesting," Anna commented, looking up at the name-sign for the town with an arched brow.

The wooden sign read _Wendleton_ , which wasn't such an unusual name. What held Anna's attention were the multitude of charms and talismans hanging from the sign, waving and turning in the breeze. A rules sign was posted to the left of the entrance and Lance moved to read it. He let out a snort as he read the first line which said: _please report all known cases of witchcraft to the magistrate's office._ He wondered what would constitute as _witchcraft_ , and resolved to reign in any comments about uncultured idiocy for the duration of their stay.

"Okay, Sath and the furball should stay out here and keep out of sight. We'll call for you when we're done," Lance finally said.

The small dragon and the cat both nodded and slipped off to hide in the grass. The rest of the party headed into the gates, nodding to the guard there. The man looked at Lance uneasily, earning him an arched brow, but said nothing. The gunner brushed the look off, and turned his attention to the town. It looked like every other town they'd seen so far, aside for the strange talismans made from bone and wood hanging from every door, and the fact that everyone they passed wore robes and gave the group a wide berth. A stockade was set up in the town square with a skeleton still held in one.

"Well that's pleasant and sanitary," Lance muttered. He glanced at Natalie and added quietly, "I think it would be best if you put your staff away and not use any magic here. They strike me as the types to think that even healing is some kind of demonic power."

Natalie nodded as she placed her weapon in her Adventure Pouch, and murmured, "Yeah, I was just thinking that."

Anna had moved a little ways away, and stopped in front of an herbalists' store to read a notice posted on the door. She glanced around when the others gathered around, "Looks like the owner needs some ingredients from Shadow Grove, and no one is willing to go get the plants with the demon having taken up residence there."

"Want to take up the job?" Matt asked.

The ranger nodded, "Yeah, I was thinking I could go do this, and take NoLegs and Sath for backup while the rest of you keep poking around. It's not really a job that will require the whole team or will take long."

"Sounds good, we'll try some of the other stores and at the tavern," Lance agreed.

Anna waved them off and slipped into the dim shop, causing a bell to tinkle over her head. She looked around in fascination at the various jars filled with pickled plants and various kinds of potions and pastes. Her nose itched as it caught a multitude of herbal incenses and scents. She was studying a bundle of dried leaves that smelled sweet when a voice called to her.

"Hello, can I help you find something in particular?" an elderly woman asked, "A remedy for an aching stomach, a cure for a stuffy head, a love potion perhaps?"

Anna barely restrained a snort at that last one and said, "I saw your request for help gathering ingredients. Do you still need the job done?"

The old woman looked both surprised and relieved as she fished out a paper, "Yes, I'm out of a number of supplies for a painkiller. If you could gather any one of the items on this list, then I'll pay you fifty gold pieces."

Anna accepted the list which included several herbs with charcoal sketches of what they looked like as well as the places to find them and how many she needed. As she scanned the list, she casually asked, "Why not hire the guard to bring them back? Surely a group of knights could tackle the demon there?"

The woman's face flickered with a hint of distaste as she muttered, "Don't trust them. Will you be able to find anything there? The Capshrooms should be fairly easy and safe to get."

Anna nodded, "Yes, I think I can find all of these, actually. I recognize a couple of them, though not the names. And the demon won't be a problem for me."

The woman tensed and fished for a ward, "Away, demon!"

Anna blinked in surprise, "What?"

"Only a demon would not fear dying to another demon!" the woman cried, brandishing a metal medallion.

Anna let out a very Lance-like snort and corrected, "Actually, I have back up waiting outside who will be guarding me." A semi-lie: She didn't need guarding, but she didn't particularly want to end up in the stocks, and she did have back up in the form of two creatures; the irony that they would be considered demons in the eyes of the town was not lost on her.

"Oh," the woman said in an embarrassed voice, lowering her medallion. "I apologize for assuming. How long do you think it will take to gather the ingredients?"

Anna chewed her lower lip in thought and finally said, "I can probably get them today, but I won't be back until late. Should I return tomorrow?"

"That would be fine. I open at dawn," the woman replied.

Anna nodded and left with the paper in hand and the woman's wishes for a safe trip at her back. She started back towards the town entrance, passing Natalie who carried a sack in one hand along the way and passing on the information of where she'd be and for how long. The mage nodded, and promised to let the others know. The two women parted and Anna headed out of town, whistling for NoLegs and Sath once she was a safe distance away. The two creatures came out of the grass, and followed after she explained where they were going.

 **OOOOOO**

Lance was getting very frustrated by the looks he was getting from the townspeople. They seemed scared of him for some reason, backing away when he spoke to them, and making strange gestures with their hands. But it wasn't until a guard came up to him, demanding he follow, that he said anything about it all.

"And _why_ should I follow you?" Lance asked in a flat tone.

The guard seemed about as fearful of him as the rest of the townsfolk, and though Lance's words caused him to flinch, he rallied to draw a blade and say, "Demons must be dealt with."

"Oh, for the love of," Lance muttered with a roll of his eyes—eyes that he was pretty sure were the problem here, just like back at Swynhill. "I'm not a demon, and I'm not going with you," he snapped.

A second later, and the gunner drew his own blade to deflect a swing at his neck. He snorted at the pathetic attempt to kill him. He sparred with Matt, who was far more dangerous and experienced; fighting a town guard seemed more like a joke than a real fight. And that was certainly what it looked like to the gathering crowd. Lance never struck back, despite his irritation with the whole situation, but merely deflected strikes away from himself with contemptuous ease. He wished he could just kill the idiot, but knew that would just bring more trouble down for the team. He decided it would probably be best if he simply let his ' _opponent_ ' wear them self out. Still, the commotion soon drew Matt and Natalie, who gaped at the sight of Lance fighting a guard.

"Lance, we're not here to get arrested," Matt said flatly.

Lance snorted, "It's not like I _want_ to be playing patty cake with this moron."

"Die, demon," the guard yelled as he made another swing. His swings had lost a lot of speed and power as he became exhausted, but he wouldn't let that stop him.

Natalie started laughing, "Being mistaken for a demon again?"

"Just knock him out," Matt suggested with a grin as he watched Lance catch his opponent's blade with two fingers.

Lance did just that, bringing the flat of his gunblade down on the guard's helmet. The guard shuddered and dropped with a clatter. "We should probably get that armor off him before he dies of heat stroke, or something," Lance grumbled, sheathing his weapon.

Natalie chuckled, but stepped forwards to do as the gunner suggested, peeling the guard's dented helmet off and working to unbuckle the straps for the chest plate. As she worked, she discretely used a weak healing spell to restore the man's sense, aware of the nervous crowd watching. After a few brief moments, the guard stirred with a groan, and his eyes flickered open.

"Her holiness comes for me?" the man groaned out, dazedly staring at Natalie kneeling next to him. To his swimming vision, it looked as though a divine figure had descended to guide his soul away.

Natalie rolled her eyes and stood up, "Not yet, she doesn't. The friend of mine you were beating against just wanted me to make sure you were okay."

"Your… friend?" the guard mumbled in confusion. He sat up and stared around before his eyes fell on Lance, and he gasped, "Demon!"

Natalie set a hand on the man's shoulder and calmly said, "Lance isn't a demon, he just has a bad attitude. We'd appreciate it if you'd not give your town a bad name. It's a lovely community, but attacking visitors is a bad policy."

The mage's soft and level words caused the guard to reconsider the supposed demon standing not far away with an annoyed expression and crossed arms, but no real hostility. After a few moments, he nodded, "Very well. I apologize for the misunderstanding. Thank you for tending to me, milady."

Natalie patted his shoulder, "You're welcome. We'd like you to know that we… removed the demon from Shadow Grove yesterday."

"Truly?" the guard asked in amazement. "You must come speak with the magistrate to inform him!"

Matt grinned and asked, "Is he going to attempt to kill our friend, too?"

"He's welcome to try," Lance muttered.

Still, the two men fell into step behind the guard and Natalie, headed for the large building at the center of town. The people seemed far less fearful of the group now that a guard had chosen to trust them, and hearing that the demon of Shadow Grove had been dealt with. Natalie darted off briefly to hand over a parcel she'd been in the middle of delivering before Lance's confrontation. She caught up to them just as the rest reached the magistrate's building: a two story wooden structure, covered in carven wards and charms with a sign depicting a set of scales. The guard bowed the others inside before leaving.

"Think the magistrate will be able to give us any information?" Matt asked the other two quietly as they headed inside.

Natalie shrugged, "Maybe. We can ask about any concerns he might have."

"And about getting paid for moving the furball," Lance added with a smirk.

The three settled down on a long wooden bench to wait to be seen. Matt bounced his foot as he looked around the large space. The interior of the building was pretty bland, he mused. There were simple wooden benches for people waiting, as they were. A simple desk sat at one end, with no one behind it. There were a few windows on the two walls adjacent to the door to let in some light. A couple of unlit lanterns hung from ropes on the ceiling to provide light at night. A couple of doors behind the desk led to separate parts of the building. The swordsman yawned as he ran out of things to look at, and he wondered how Anna was doing. He bet it was more interesting and productive than waiting to talk with a magistrate.

 **OOOOOO**

Anna strode through the thick trees and vines of Shadow Grove with a cloth sack slung over one shoulder. Her eyes scanned the basses of the trees, searching for the last few ingredients she'd come to retrieve. NoLegs bounced alongside her, cheerfully sniffing at various plants and pouncing after small winged insects. Sath traveled overhead, once again searching out the trees for any problems. They'd only had to kill one large snake, which had been easy with two distractions and one talented archer. Anna let out a soft noise as she spotted one of the herbs she was looking for.

"Another hallucinogen," Anna muttered as she carefully plucked the spotted mushrooms from the damp earth at the base of a rotted stump. "I suppose getting high would be one way to deal with pain, but I think having five different kinds in one medicine is overkill. I bet Matt would've liked it for recreation, though; I'm kinda glad he doesn't remember that."

NoLegs purred in amusement while Sath dropped to land on the stump. The small dragon craned his neck to watch the ranger gather a few large mushrooms to wrap in a cloth and lay in her cloth sack. He stretched one foot out to prod the top of a mushroom, but was gently waved away by Anna.

"Not tasty, Sath," Anna warned with a smile as the dragon sat back to fix her with a hungry look. She fished out a piece of jerky for the dragon to eat and grinned as he chirped his thanks. She stood up straight and stretched before gathering the herb sack up, "Well, that's it. Let's go back and see what the others have found out."

The two animals let out noises of agreement and followed the ranger as she turned to leave, Sath settling on her shoulder, NoLeg's bouncing ahead to lead the way. None of them noticed the curious green eyes peering out at them from under a nearby bush. They didn't see the small furry form that crept out to follow behind them. A fox with silvery grey fur padded along behind them silently, eyes fixed on the pouch the ranger had brought the jerky out from. After a few minutes, the fox padded even closer before leaping up to snatch the Adventure Pouch from the ranger's waist, snapping straight through the strings tying it there.

Immediately, Anna whipped around, startling Sath into flight. Her narrowed green eyes fell on a small fox, darting away into the leaves with her adventure pouch dangling from its mouth. She blew out an aggravated sigh, and asked Sath and NoLegs to start tracking it. The two animals shot forwards, weaving through the branches and leaves after the fox. The ranger followed behind them, carefully listening to the sounds of pursuit. She picked up her pace when she heard Sath give an alarmed trill, and burst into a clearing to see the fox had taken refuge in a hollowed out fallen tree, and Sath was on the ground with NoLegs bristling in front of him defensively.

Anna wondered how the heck the dragon, however small, had lost to a fox, but her confusion lifted a moment later when a sharp gust sliced past her leg, coming from the log. Her eyes widened as she realized the fox must know at least a little magic. It was the first time she'd seen a creature here display any kind of magical talent. She heard the fox give a few nervous yaps, and realized it was cornered in the log. She frowned as she wondered what to do next. She could easily kill the creature hiding in the log with a little magic, and she needed to get her Adventure Pouch back, though she was a little confused as to why the fox had taken her bag in the first place.

The ranger carefully moved around the log, staying out of range of any wind from the fox by avoiding the opening to its hiding place. She stopped beside Sath and NoLegs, and checked the small dragon for wounds. To her relief, Sath had no wounds, but looked disoriented. She guessed that he'd been knocked out of the air by the fox's magic. She glanced back at the log, and watched NoLegs move to sit on the top of it with his short sword at the ready, waiting for the fox to come out. She felt a small twine of pity for the trapped fox as it began to whine in fear.

"Let's see if we can lure it out peacefully," Anna said to NoLegs.

The cat looked surprised, but let his blade vanish. He remained where he was, however, to be sure the fox didn't escape with Anna's gear.

The ranger turned her attention back to Sath and asked, "Can you go kill something small and bring it back here? Maybe a peace offering of some food will work."

Sath chirped and took off, darting away into the trees. Anna moved to sit next to the log and quietly hushed the whining creature inside, speaking in a calm, low voice. The fox's whimpering slowly died down as she spoke to it in nonsensical noises. After a few minutes, Sath came back with a dead squirrel gripped his claws. He set the kill down at Anna's feet, who took it and cautiously moved around to the front of the log. The fox didn't attack her, to her relief, but nor did it come out.

"Here you go, little fella, I bet you like squirrel," Anna cooed. To her amusement, she heard a happy barking noise from within the log. "We brought it for you, if you give me my things back."

After a few long moments of silence, a small, furry head poked out of the log. The fox had its ears back and its eyes wide as it peered out at Anna with her adventure pouch dangling from its muzzle. When Anna made no move to attack or capture it, it crept out a little further, belly fur brushing the ground. It slowly crept up to sniff the dead squirrel laying on the ground between it and the human. Finally, it slipped around the offering and set Anna's pouch on the ground before snatching up the squirrel and darting off a little ways to eat it.

Anna grinned as she scooped up her bag, "Thank you." She eyed the shortened strings and mused that she'd need to buy some leather strips to repair it before tying the broken pieces together to loop back at her waist. She gestured for NoLegs and Sath to follow and left the fox sitting in the clearing, licking its lips with its eyes narrowed in satisfaction. The group had only gone a little ways before they heard a yip from behind them. Anna glanced back to see the fox bounding after them.

"What's up, little guy?" Anna asked in confusion. She frowned when the fox shook itself and ran in a circle around her before stopping at her feet to look up at her with big green eyes. "I don't have any more food for you," Anna told it.

The fox's reply was to shake itself again and leap up to land on Anna's shoulder. The ranger jerked back from shock, and felt the fox curl around her neck. She giggled slightly as the soft fur tickled, and she felt the creature give a purr. She waited a few seconds, thinking the fox was merely thanking her for the meal. When the animal showed no signs of moving, however, she started trying to shrug it off. The fox made a whining sound of protest, and refused to budge.

"What, you want to come with?" Anna asked. She smiled as the fox yipped and licked her cheek. The ranger glanced down at NoLegs, who shrugged and nodded, showing that the fox did indeed want to tag along. Anna's smile widened, and she said, "Okay, you can come with me. Just keep out of trouble, okay?"

The fox yipped again, and settled its head down to drape across Anna's collar bone. She continued her purr as Anna started walking again, causing the ranger to grin. The creature was cute, and could use magic. Anna figured it would be an excellent addition to the team. Sath fluttered in front of Anna, chirping resentfully at the theft of his favorite perch. The fox cracked one eyes open and gave a small grunt. Anna apologetically offered her arm to Sath, and the dragon settled down on it to be cradled in her arms. The four kept going, soon breaking out of the trees to see the sun was setting.

Anna frowned at the sight, and mused, "I guess we'll have to camp out here for the night. I don't particularly want to deal with the monsters out there."

Sath, however, leapt out of her arms to hover a short distance away. He chirped, clearly wanting to keep going. NoLegs looked eager to return as well, and meowed expectantly from underneath the small dragon. The fox curled around Anna's neck leapt down to sit next to the ranger, and looked up at her with a yip. After a few moments, Anna sighed.

"Fine, fine, let's go. I blame all of you if I get hurt, though," Anna told them.

The animals made varying sounds of excitement and took off with Anna jogging behind them. Despite her protests, Anna looked forwards to getting back to show her new friend to the others. Lance, she figured, wouldn't care much for the fox, but Matt and Natalie would like it. It occurred to the ranger that she should probably give the fox a name and figure out its gender. She cocked her head, and studied the fox, wondering what to call it. She turned over several options before deciding on one.

"Hey, little fox, how does Silver work for a name?" Anna asked.

The fox twisted to look back at her with pricked ears and green eyes gleaming. It blinked twice before giving a grin with its tongue hanging out. Anna took that to mean that Silver was an okay name.

"So, are you a boy?" Anna asked. The fox's lip curled back and it shook its head. "Girl, then," Anna decided, earning her another fox-smile. Silver bounded back to leap onto Anna's shoulder again, purring, and accepted the hand that ran over her head to scratch the base of her ear.

Anna beamed at her new pet, thinking Silver was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. Her attention was soon drawn away by a low croak from the grass that caused Silver's ears to prick up. The ranger's eyes narrowed and she scanned for the monster. NoLegs had his sword at the ready, his eyes staring into the grass on the left, above which Sath circled. Anna nocked an arrow, and let it loose into the grass, hearing her a loud, pained croak, and a large, brown toad leapt out at her with an arrow caught in its shoulder.

The ranger dove to the side, feeling Silver dart off her shoulder. She rolled to her feet in time to see NoLegs slash at the toad's hind legs to destroy its ability to leap at the same time that Sath swooped down to breath fire over the monster. The toad bellowed in pain and anger that soon turned to panic. A wind had picked up and was causing the flames licking across the toad's back to spread rapidly and engulf it. Anna blinked in amazement, and saw Silver, crouched and snarling at the beast, her eyes glinting. Before long, the monster was dead, charred and smoking. The wind pressed down on the flames, smothering them until they were dead.

"Wow," Anna breathed as she stared at the three creatures who were chattering to each other. She cocked her head when three sets of eyes turned on her. They all gathered at her feet with expectant looks, and Anna chuckled before fishing out some food for them. "Great work, you three," Anna praised as they devoured the dried meat she handed out.

Before long, they were once again jogging through the tall grass until Wendleton came into sight. The moon had risen by this point, and the gates into town were closed and locked. Anna frowned at that before shrugging and turning to head into the grass. The group settled down out of sight of the gate to sleep.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _And there we have it, my last "I want" for this story: Little, magical fox follower. The team has won an in with the superstitious town of superstition, and have done that thing we all do in RPGs: glorified errands. Over all, I like how this chapter came out, aside from how long it took to finish. I'll be opening back up with Lance, Matt, and Natalie next chapter, picking up where I left off here. We'll be getting some dirt on Matias and the next major plot point. Leave me a review, and I'll try to be back before three months this time!_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N:** Ta-dah! I'm back from the dead! For now. You all will be happy, or at least indifferent, to hear that I've passed my most recent finals, and other classes are going well. Plus, I think my depression is on its way out. Also a good thing._

 _My deepest, most humble, apologetic, over the top, dramatic, I'm-sorry-I-suck, I-really-didn't-forget, sorrowful apologies for the horrendous wait on this. But at long last (over a year), the next chapter of The Long Road Home is here! Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Red eyes glared down at Matt, flashing against a backdrop of twisting, glowing lights. A large crystal set in a mound of twisted, rotting flesh gave a dull flash just before the ground rumbled. Off to Matt's right, Natalie and Lance were already scrambling back, preemptively dodging whatever was coming, and he found himself doing the same, though he didn't know why._

 _Then the ground erupted into a wave of razor-sharp spires of bleached bones that glowed with a sickly green light. One scraped past Matt's leg with a burning sensation that told him the green light was a venom of some sort. Natalie was luckier, just managing to dodge the spears that stabbed at her. Lance, however, gave a choked cry as one stabbed straight through his abdomen, and he crumpled to the ground with a groan. His friends called his name and Natalie was already channeling her healing magic to pick him back up. Lance staggered back to his feet with a pale face, and spat out a mouthful of blood before glaring at their foe as he wiped an arm across his mouth, smearing red over his chin._

 _Ancient, evil laughter echoed through it all before everything went black and bloody eyes opened all around him._

Matt jerked awake with a gasp and panted as he wildly stared around himself. Wood slats, hanging lanterns, tall windows, and uncomfortable benches—he was still seated in the magistrate's office.

Across the room, Natalie and Lance were quietly conversing with an old man dressed in long, black robes holding onto a scepter made of some kind of metal. Iron, he guessed, by the reddish dust he could see in the detail work. The man was almost entirely bald aside from a few wispy tufts of white hair above his ears, and his eyes were steel gray. His back was hunched slightly from age, but he still carried himself with a dignified sort of air. Matt could only assume he was the magistrate for the village.

"If Lance is a demon, then why would he help us take out another demon?" Natalie was demanding with a hint of exasperation to her voice.

"The workings of the demonic mind are twisted and often filled with inexplicable thoughts," the man rasped back in a patient voice. "Perhaps it believed it could benefit in some way by offering its aid."

"I've been fighting beside him for years now, and while he has some questionable hobbies, he's never done anything that makes me think he's a demon," Natalie shot back flatly. "You've known him for all of ten minutes and all you have to claim that he's a demon is his eye color and the fact that your guard is terrible at fighting."

"This village has always been able to tell demon from human."

Lance snorted. "So, basically, you admit that you know nothing about demons, yet you will still claim you know one when you see one. Lovely. Why are we wasting our time here again?" He glanced around when Matt stepped up beside him and nodded a greeting before turning back to the magistrate. "Look, we just want some information on Matias and then we'll be on our way. Can you tell us anything about him or not?"

The magistrate folded his arms into his sleeve and shook his head. "I will tell nothing to a demon."

"For the love of," Lance growled. He turned on his heel and strode for the door, calling back over his shoulder. "I'll be outside. Good luck with the brick."

"Excuse him," Natalie apologized through gritted teeth. "He can be a bit irritating sometimes, but he's a good person." Clearly, she was at the end of her rope with the magistrate, too.

"Mostly a good person, anyway," Matt agreed. "Why don't you go escort the... demon... elsewhere, and I'll talk things out here?"

Natalie arched a brow at that, but nodded and left. Matt waited until the door had closed behind her and then turned to the magistrate and held out his hand to shake.

"I don't know if they introduced me, but my name's Matt. I'm a swordsman."

The magistrate shook his hand as he replied, "You may call me Arnold. I am the magistrate for this humble town."

"Pleased to meet you, and sorry for my friends' irritability. We had a long walk today."

"Your accent is strange," the magistrate noted mildly. "From what village or town do you hail?"

"Someplace far from here," Matt admitted. "I'm not exactly sure where, though. I had a bit of an accident and things are still coming back to me. But I stayed for a while with a family in a small hamlet north of here. They're part of the reason we've been asking about Matias. You've probably heard about all the rotten stuff going on across the kingdom?"

"Increased taxes, forced conscriptions, imprisonment, all on the king's orders. And there has been a rise of banditry, pillaging, and raiding," the magistrate listed with an incline of his head. "Wendleton has been blessed thus far to have been spared such troubles."

Or, Matt secretly thought, they were too crazy to bother with. Outwardly, however, he nodded. "I got beaten up rather soundly not too long ago for defending the mother of the family I was staying with, and I saw the royal knights come by for collections countless times before that. But I recently heard that it's possible Matias is the one responsible for it all. Has anyone here heard the same thing?"

Arnold studied Matt for several long moments of silence. Finally, he nodded, approving of whatever he saw. "We have heard such things in recent days. Speak with the innkeeper, he tracks all passing rumors and can help you. I will overlook your... friend's... presence here for the time being, but I must insist you all leave come morning. Any trouble caused by him will result in lawful punishment for each of you. Good day."

"Thank you," Matt sighed before turning to go.

The sun was low in the sky, and the shadows of the houses and stores of the square stretched across the ground in long stripes. Lance and Natalie were waiting outside in the shadow of the magistrate's building, leaning against the wall with irritation still glinting in their eyes, and Triff lying at their feet. Matt opened his mouth to call a greeting, but paused when Lance shifted, causing a stray glint of red to bounce off his rifle. The color stood out in stark relief in the shade, and was eerily reminiscent of the blackness filled with red eyes from Matt's nightmare.

Matt froze and stared at the red for a moment as a now-familiar sense of deja vu swept over him. That nightmare had to have been a memory, but of what? When and why had he been fighting such a horrifying and powerful monstrosity, and where had Anna been? For that matter, why was Lance standing here now? He'd clearly been run clean through, but had somehow survived? Was Natalie's magic really that powerful, or was the memory mixed with a dream? It was possible, he supposed. After all, he couldn't think of any real place that had such a strange scenery in it.

"Does the triumphant warrior return from his battle with the brick with information?" Lance asked with dry amusement. When that elicited no response, he frowned and took a step forwards. "You okay, Matt?"

The call of his name and loss of the red light had Matt jolting out of his thoughts and he realized he'd been staring with his mouth hanging open. He snapped his jaw shut and shook himself with a light flush.

"Sorry, I'm fine," he mumbled before clearing his throat. "And, yes, he said to ask the innkeeper, and that we have to leave in the morning. And keep yourself out of trouble because all of us are going to get nailed for it if you step out of line."

Lance kept his eyes trained on Matt for several moments, trying to figure out what the problem was. Ultimately, however, he shrugged and decided that Matt would eventually bring it up if it was important. His attention turned to Natalie, who was talking about the sole inn on the far side of the town, near the entrance. Hopefully getting a room with him in the group wouldn't be as much of a pain as everything else in the town. The gunner gave a breathy snort at his own train of thought.

"What about Anna? She's still out at the Grove," Matt mentioned as they made their way to the inn. "Everyone's so jumpy here, and I doubt they'll tell her where to go since it means vaguely talking about Lance."

"I think Anna is a big enough of a girl to figure out where we go for beds in towns," Lance replied dryly. Then his brow furrowed, "But what about the furball and Sath? No way in hell we'll be able to get them in."

Natalie tilted her head thoughtfully before slowly saying, "Well, they could camp outside the town. I mean, both NoLegs and Sath are wild animals, capable of fending for themselves. It's not like they need us to survive, after all—they just like hanging around us."

Lance shrugged in agreement, though inwardly upset that Sath had to stay away. They were a team of their own, after all. Still, Natalie spoke logically and true, and it wasn't like he could smuggle his dragon in. Gods only knew what the village would do then. Probably demand some kind of purification rite or a bloody dismemberment. Between the nuts of Wendleton and superstitious worshippers of Swynhill, Garthram was just rich with idiots ready to jump to conclusions, he mused with a sigh. It would be nice to get back to the lazy, uninspired people back home.

The inn loomed over them with walls built of stone before being made of wood halfway up. Smoke billowed up from the chimney, and the shadows of patrons could be seen moving about inside the dingy windows. Matt pushed the door open and ducked his head to clear the low entrance with Lance and Natalie behind him. Inside was very warm with a thin veil of smoke from the cook fire hanging near the ceiling. A few people were sitting at a cluster of long tables with platters of food and drink in front of them, filling the air with a constant murmur of voices and laughs. Half of the patrons were wearing robes while the other half looked like normal townsfolk, and all of them looked up at the newcomers' entrance.

Matt's skin prickled under all the stares and at the sudden silence, and he tried to avoid showing his discomfort as he headed to speak with a reedy man bent over a ledger at a small desk not far from the door to the kitchens. Securing beds was easy, despite the number of people eating at the moment, and he figured that the inn must double as a tavern.

"Four beds?" the man repeated as he peered across the three people standing before him. Lance, wisely, kept his eyes half closed and hidden behind his bangs. "I only see three of you. The dog will have to sleep in the stable, by the way."

"Ah, our friend is out of town running errands for the herbalist and should be back later," Natalie explained.

"Gates close soon. You sure your friend will be back in time?" the man asked as he bent back over his books and began scribbling a few lines.

Matt hesitated for a moment before asking, "So she might get locked out?"

"Yes. The gates don't open after dark unless there's an emergency. Can't risk monsters coming in."

"That's probably the first rational thing I've heard since arriving," Lance muttered to himself. He shook his head at Matt's curious look and raised his voice. "Anna'll just have to camp out. If she shows up, we can buy her bed."

"Alrighty, three beds. Will you be buying supper, too?"

"Yes, please," Matt replied as he fished out some coins.

"That'll come out to thirteen silver," the innkeeper said.

"Silver?" Matt repeated. "I only have gold. Will thirteen gold work?"

Lance shoulder Matt aside. "Idiot, gold is worth a lot more than silver. Do you do exchanges, old man?" Already, he could hear whispers starting up at the revelation of how rich the visitors were, and resigned himself to sleeping lightly.

The man was staring at them with an odd look, and ignored Lance's question. "How can you be carrying that much gold around?"

When Lance merely arched an impatient brow, he shrugged and bent to get a set of scales and weights. He accepted a single gold coin from Matt and peered at it. The coin was unlike any he'd ever seen before, thicker and with no stamp he recognized, and, if he wasn't mistaken, it was pure gold, not leaf around less valuable iron or bronze. A simple bend between his fingers only furthered his assumption, and he looked up with newfound respect, assuming the visitors must be of high importance from somewhere. He set the coin on the scale and began weighing it before nodding.

"I'll take this and I'll give you seventeen silver and six copper. Does that sound reasonable?"

More whispers from the diners.

Matt glanced at Natalie, who shrugged, and he nodded. "Sounds okay to us. Thanks."

A young woman came out at the innkeeper's call, and led Natalie and Triff to where the stables were around back. A few minutes later, and the mage returned, in the middle of thanking the woman for promising to feed the dog later.

Once the money was exchanged, Lance herded the other two towards the sleeping area upstairs. Beds and bunks were clustered around the space, some obviously already claimed, while others were vacant with the sheets turned back, and he selected three by the far wall, away from the windows.

"Alright, watch your backs and your adventure pouches when we go back down there, and don't let anyone know how much money we really have," Lance sighed as soon as the helper had left. He ran his hand through his hair and muttered, "I had no idea gold was so uncommon here... Nobody else batted an eye when we paid with it... We'll need to figure out rates pretty soon."

"Think somebody would be dumb enough to attack us in plain sight?" Natalie asked as she sat on her bunk.

"I think somebody would be greedy enough to attack us wherever," Lance corrected. "And since we're already under watch, I'd rather not cause a scene. So let's get our food, get the info, and get some sleep. We should leave early tomorrow. Matt, you seem to be having luck with talking to people, see what you can learn from the innkeeper. Keep your adventure pouch out of sight, and your sword on you—that might dissuade potential thieves."

"Gotcha. Grab me some food, too, and I'll come find you. Lots of meat. And bread. Bread is good."

Natalie laughed and promised to get him plenty of both as she stood and followed Lance downstairs again. On the main floor, Matt split from the others and headed to where the innkeeper was now nibbling on a roll with a bowl of stew nearby. He drew up a chair beside the man with a friendly smile, explained that the magistrate and said to speak with him, and began asking his questions.

Across the room, Lance and Natalie picked a table in the corner to sit down at with their and Matt's food, and both could see the frequent glances being sent their way. Most were curious, others were calculating. Conversations seemed over-loud and exaggerated as people pretended to not be interested in the visitors. Fifteen minutes after sitting down, Matt joined them with a scrap of paper in hand and a frown on his face.

"Innkeep says the attacks have been following a pattern, according to some travelers' gossip," he murmured to the others. One of his hands spread the paper he'd brought on the table while the other began picking up food to stuff in his mouth. "He gave me a list of names of villages that have been attacked and roughly when Matias' men stopped by after to give support," he mumbled around a mouthful of pork.

Lance peered at the names with a furrowed brow. "Did he say which of these were first? We can compare them with locations on our map. Maybe we can figure out where will be hit next?"

"I asked him about that, and he said the earliest one he'd heard of was a place called Helton's Reach—some kind of small town by the coast. Of course, who knows if there was actually first..."

"Rumors can take awhile to spread," Natalie agreed thoughtfully as she leaned over the map Lance folded out beside the list.

The three silently searched the papers to locate the villages the innkeeper had given, which Lance then circled with a pencil stub. Twenty minutes later, and they had found all but two, which they eventually figured must not have been significant enough to map out, or were newer villages than their map could show.

"Interesting," Lance mused under his breath as his sharp eyes stared at the trail of attacked villages. "If we assume Helton's Reach was first, then the attacks started right next to the capital..."

"But then they seem to just make a giant loop back, and they've hit even tiny fishing towns," Natalie noted in a baffled voice. "What's the point? Wouldn't it make more sense to hit the major cities and cut off trade?"

"Mm... He couldn't do that and sustain it," Lance countered. "He doesn't actually have any real authority beyond being the King's champion. It's not like he could just waltz up to the man and say, 'hey, mind if I borrow the army to conquer your kingdom?' I hope, anyway."

"Doesn't seem to stop him from ordering the detainment of any and all mages, and insane collections," Matt pointed out sourly. "Those were done with royal decree."

"But it wasn't done with royal decree—at least, not according to Matias," Lance corrected mildly. "Remember? He said there was a group of renegade knights acting on their own. If you were a random townsperson and a knight knocked on your door supposedly on orders from the king, would you demand to see the written decree? No one would think to question it, or at least they wouldn't be brave and stupid enough to question it—not against a fully armored man. It's a brilliantly simple and effective strategy since their king is super paranoid of assassination. The bum is probably too scared to hold normal audiences, which is only exacerbating the issues."

"Careful, you're starting to sound like you admire the man," Natalie snorted as she sat back and sipped on the last of her watered ale.

"I respect his strategy, at least," Lance agreed, rolling the papers up again to stuff them away. "We'll head northwest tomorrow. If we can head off and capture some of the marauders, then I bet we can make them squeal."

Matt nodded with his mouth full of bread. He swallowed the food before letting out a belch loud enough to silence the chatter of the room around them. Somebody across the space applauded the noise, which Matt waved in acknowledgement to while Natalie rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Come on, if Anna hasn't shown up yet, then she's probably stuck outside. Let's go to bed."

Lance and Matt followed the mage upstairs where they quickly sorted out who was going to be in which bed, and dropped off to sleep. A few patrons came up after to claim their own beds, and didn't disturb the trio. Soon all noise from below faded and the innkeeper barred and locked the doors for the night.

Hours passed in darkness filled with the sound of light snores and rustles of sheets. Then a floorboard creaked under a boot, and Lance opened his eyes, having feigned sleep. As he'd suspected, three men were attempting to creep stealthily towards were Matt was sleeping spread eagle on a bed, their eyes fixed on where the swordsman had left his adventure pouch dangling off the hilt of his sword. Lance silently snorted at the complete lack of care for valuables. If it weren't for the fact that it would be nuisance and setback for the team if Matt got robbed, he would have let the men take the stuff, if only as a lesson to his careless friend. Instead, he sat up and silently stood off his bed.

"Hands off," he warned in a low voice to keep from waking anyone.

Instantly, the men froze, their fingers flinching inches away from the valuable pouch. Each of them drew long knives as they rounded on the gunner. Unseen in the shadows, Lance rolled his eyes at the bravado. Their forms were awful, and their heavy breathing betrayed their nerves with facing down the possibility of having to actually attack another human.

"It's three on one, boy, stay out of it," one of the men whispered harshly.

"Three on one, until someone makes too much noise," Lance agreed quietly. "What are your chances of actually making it three steps before a thump wakes someone else?"

"Jerry, I think he's the one with the blood-eyes," a second man murmured nervously. "I ain't fightin' no blood-suckers."

"If he's trying to talk us down, then he isn't a threat," the first man, presumably Jerry, snorted. "You two, keep your knives on him. The window isn't too high, we can easily make the jump."

"You won't be able to get anything out of that bag," Lance warned off-handedly as two of the men stepped a little closer to him. His lips curled in a smirk as he suddenly had a brilliant idea—a god one day, a demon the next. "I've cursed it to drain the life out of anyone who tries to use it. Poor sot on the bed has no idea."

All three men froze, and Lance patted himself on the back, thinking about what fun it was to mess with the superstitious.

"I'll remove the curse, if you can catch me," he offered a split second before bolting.

His bare feet were silent on the wooden stairs, and he snickered to himself as he heard muffled curses from the three would-be robbers followed by less-than-silent thumps. The noise was too quiet to really disturb anyone, but far from being stealthy. Luckily, in their failed efforts to be silent, they took a long time to reach the bottom floor, giving Lance plenty of time to undo the door-bar and chain latch. He waited just until the first man reached the empty main room before darting out the door.

The chase continued down the empty, moonlit street, with Lance tauntingly remaining just far enough ahead to make them think they had a chance of catching him. In reality, he was in far better shape than any of his pursuers, and he knew he could take all three of them down, even without his weapons. It was just a matter of time and finding an abandoned space.

"Bingo," Lance murmured as they came out into the square containing the stockade.

The gunner skidded to a halt, grimacing at the grit against his bare feet. Behind him, the three robbers gasped and wheezed as they also skidded to stops. He decided to make a show of being badly winded, even if he'd barely begun breathing heavily, and leaned over to place his hands on his knees. As he'd hoped, one of them lunged forwards with a dagger raised and glinting in the moonlight. In a blur of motion, Lance ducked even lower under the swing and slammed his palm into the man's wrist, stunning his hand into dropping the knife, and followed up with a swift uppercut to the jaw, knocking the robber out cold.

Fearing him grabbing their comrade's fallen knife, the other two robbers pressed forwards on the attack instead of running or crying out for help. If they had raised a ruckus, then they would have had the defense of a demon attacking them. Instead, they were both taken down and knocked out by Lance, who then stood straight dusting his hands and rolling his shoulders.

"Ah... I've missed beating up imbeciles," he sighed in content.

He stepped forwards to tie the three robbers together by their wrists using a combination of one of their belts and strips of fabric from one of their shirts. More strips were used as gags, and as a final measure, he tied all of their bootlaces together in a tangled knot so bad it would make a fisherman cry. With them taken care of, he turned to head back for the inn at a leisurely stroll.

Natalie was waiting for him just inside the inn door with an unamused expression.

"And a lovely lady is here to greet the heroic thief deterrer," Lance chuckled. "Come on, lay one there..."

"What did you do to them?" Natalie demanded, ignoring his silent gestures for a kiss. "I swear, if your actions end with us getting run out of town by an angry mob with pitchforks..."

"Relax, I didn't do anything that could be considered demonic," Lance promised with a roll of his eyes. "I just left them tied up by the stockade. Three stooges, and three daggers. I think even these nuts can put two and two together."

Natalie shook her head with a heavy sigh, but turned away. "Next time, just shout thief."

"Or just let Matt's stuff get stolen," Lance muttered under his breath as he re-barred and latched the door before following her. "Ingrate..."

The rest of the night passed in silence, and the three met Anna in the main room the next morning. Understandably, she had been a little confused by the sight of three men tied up in the square. Her confusion only grew when she mentioned the spectacle, and Natalie rolled her eyes with a sigh and Lance smirked; Matt was too busy scarfing down an entire platter of sausage to care.

"So, northwest, huh?" Anna asked after hearing what the three had found out. "Sounds good. I took the liberty of buying fresh supplies before coming to get you."

"Did you finish that errand you were on?" Natalie asked as Matt led the way through the crowd already bustling on the streets. Her fingers periodically snapped to keep Triff from bounding off to investigate smells.

"Yup. The lady tried to pay me in, ah... stimulants, we'll say. I took the gold at a loss, instead," Anna replied with a sigh and a light flush.

Lance choked on a laugh, "Wait, she tried to give you an aphrod-"

"Anyway," Anna interrupted, turning her eyes to Matt with burning cheeks. "If we're headed northwest, then we'll probably be near where Harold and his family live. Want to stop by and say hi? I'm sure they'd be glad to see you again."

Matt's eyes brightened, "Yeah! Only let's maybe not mention that we've been stealing and are working with the thieves guild." His hand idly rubbed his ear as he imagined Mary yanking on it in reprimand.

"Not another furball," Lance suddenly complained.

They had reached the brush patch Anna had spent the night in, and were greeted by Sath, NoLegs, and Anna's new fox friend, Silver. The gunner threw his hands into the air in frustration and disgust before turning to head northwest, ignoring the coos from Natalie behind him. Sath swooped to land on his shoulder and trilled a greeting before curling around his neck.

"A dog, a fox, and a cat," he muttered to the dragon. "Here's hoping they all eat each other."

Sath made a non-committal grumble, and Lance had to agree with the sentiment when he glanced back to see Silver cheerfully perched on Triff's shoulders. With a sigh, he turned back around to begin plotting their next move. They had a pretty solid lead, now, which hopefully meant Matias' days were numbered.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Plot has been plotted, progress has been progressed, and idiots have been trounced. A good chapter in my books. Not the most exciting one, perhaps, but important, because now we have a more direct goal for me to write towards. Leave me a review to summon me back from the dead to post the next chapter._

 _Also, this was written on my iPad, and while I did my very best to catch auto corrects an typos, I almost certainly have missed something(s). Please let me know if any of you see errors, and I'll be sure to fix them. ;)_

 _ **Responses to Guest reviewers** :_

 _ **Little Follower** : Don't worry too much about the typos. I'm hardly innocent of them. :P Also, please forgive me if I've responded to this review already. It's been so long, I can't remember what I have and haven't said. :/  
_

 _The thief brothers will be back; probably not until the team hits the capital, though. I'm glad I've successfully hit on the mischievous twins trope well enough to make people make connections to other ones. :3_

 _Yup, Anna got a fluffy silver fox with magical wind. As for Lance's tank, it won't be in this story, for all the reasons we've discussed before, and the fact that it's in another dimension/plane of existence/world. XD_

 _Please keep supporting me in my horrible attempts at progress on this fic._


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